Dynamite
Date: June 5, 2024
Location: Blue Arena, Loveland, Colorado
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Taz, Excalibur

We’re coming up on Forbidden Door and now we have the World Title match set, as Will Ospreay will challenge Swerve Strickland. Other than that, it’s going to be time to see which guest stars we have for the show, some of whom might pop up for the first time this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Here is MJF to get things going and he references being high on weed to start. He shills his new merch and tickets for Forbidden Door before talking about the people who have shown up while he’s gone. First up we have the Rainmaker, who looks like he can’t even afford a gym membership. Then you have Swerve Strickland, who says he’s a business mogul but apparently he skipped public speaking classes at business school.

Finally we have a guy with a cockney accent saying he’s the best in the world. MJF lists off a bunch of people better than Will Ospreay, including himself. He carried this place but then when he was gone healing up, people tried to smear his name. Cue Rush to say like every other American, MJF never shuts up. Where are Rush’s celebration and big moment?

MJF: “I didn’t get any of that.” Maybe Brandon Cutler is running the audio because no one can hear him. He asks if anyone could hear him before doing his version of It Doesn’t Matter. MJF casually suggests that Rush is a nepo baby before praising Rush’s successes. Sure Rush has beaten some of the best, but MJF is the best. MJF goes into some Spanglish before the fight is on, with security and Christopher Daniels breaking it up. This was MJF showing the insane charisma that he has, though starting with Rush, even in a one off match, is a little weird.

Video on Roderick Strong before his World Title shot tonight.

Orange Cassidy vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Jay Lethal vs. Rey Fenix

For an International Title shot next week. The bell rings and Excalibur’s copy for the WOO Energy spot pops up on screen as Lethal clears the ring but poses instead of diving. Cassidy is back in to send Lethal to the apron but O’Reilly grabs Cassidy for an armbar. Fenix comes back to clear things out, only to pose too long so Lethal can get in a shot from behind.

The Lethal Injection is cut off by O’Reilly and Fenix kicks Lethal in the head. Everyone gets kicked down and we get a four way breather. We take a break and come back with Fenix diving in to break up a cover, leaving all of them down again. Lethal grabs a Figure Four on Cassidy and O’Reilly grabs a guillotine on Fenix. Lethal lets go to save Fenix so O’Reilly grabs Lethal for a cross armbreaker. Cassidy and Fenix break that up until Cassidy puts Fenix down with a DDT. Back up and Lethal takes everyone out before trying a Figure Four on Fenix, which is reversed into a small package for the pin at 8:34.

Rating: B. This is the kind of match that is almost always going to be entertaining and it worked well here. Lethal was good as the normal wrestler who wasn’t going nuts for long stretches out there while the other three did their collective things. Fenix vs. Ospreay will be fine for a big flashy title match next week and that’s all it needed to set up.

Post match Trent Beretta and Don Callis come out, with the latter throwing a chair inside. Cassidy grabs a chain to even things up but here is Kris Statlander to get between them. Stokely Hathaway comes out to threaten Cassidy with Statlander violence…and then Statlander decks Cassidy. Since Cassidy can’t bring himself to hit Statlander, Willow Nightingale runs in to chase her off. That feels like a mixed tag in the making.

Chris Jericho goes all educational to his driver. Then he does it to the camera operator too.

Willow Nightingale is annoyed at losing her TBS Title but she’s ticked off at Kris Statlander. Orange Cassidy comes in for a fist bump. Nightingale was showing some intensity here and it worked.

Christopher Daniels comes out to announce the next TNT Title qualifying match.

Mark Briscoe vs. Brian Cage

Mark Briscoe’s ROH World Title isn’t on the line (he won it two months ago today and has yet to have a title defense). Briscoe starts fast and sends him outside for a dropkick through the ropes. Cage is back with a ram into the barricade, setting up the apron superplex for the crash as we take a break.

Back with Briscoe applying Redneck Kung Fu as Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita are watching from the crowd. Briscoe grabs an exploder suplex for two and Cage is sent outside. That means Briscoe can use a chair for the step up flip dive but Cage is right back with a helicopter bomb. Briscoe shrugs that off and knocks him down again, setting up the froggy bow for the pin at 10:15.

Rating: C. This was pretty much what you would expect from Briscoe vs. Cage and it wasn’t exactly great. I’m not sure why how but they’ve managed to make the Ring Of Honor World Title feel that much more worthless. That’s a heck of a trick, but I wasn’t sure if Briscoe was going to win here and Cage almost never wins.

Jack Perry says he’s going to win the TNT Title.

The Premiere Athletes interrupt Samoa Joe and Hook, with Hook’s Funions being knocked away. Joe holds Hook back from violence, saying people like them pick their spots.

Chris Jericho and company educate Matt Menard and Angelo Parker about commentary and parenting.

The Acclaimed come out for their rap but the Young Bucks (the subject) cut them off.

Swerve Strickland calls MJF a little b**** and says he’s ready for Will Ospreay. He’s proud of Team AEW, but next time, include the World Champion.

Video on Mercedes Mone vs. Stephanie Vaquer, which is title for title at Forbidden Door.

Blackpool Combat Club vs. Team CMLL

Wheeler Yuta is back from injury for the first time since January and it’s Rugido/Magnus/Volador Jr./Esfinge. Thankfully Excalibur is there to tell us that Magnus is the one with his back to the camera. This would be more informative if he didn’t say it when all four had their backs to the camera. It’s a brawl to start and all eight head out to the floor.

We settle down to Danielson and Rugido chopping it out but it’s quickly off to the parade of strikes. Team CMLL clears the ring and hit stereo dives, setting up Magnus’ 619 for two on Danielson. Everything breaks down again and Hart plays Bret in a Hart Attack on Magnus. Yuta’s Fastball Special connects and we take an early break.

Back with Moxley striking away on Magnus, who manages to enziguri his way to freedom. Esfinge comes in to monkey flip Castagnoli and then grabs a leg tie rollup for two. Castagnoli cuts off the running knees with the Swing to Magnus and Moxley adds the dropkick. Volador is back in with a sunset flip for two and Rugido’s powerslam gets the same on Yuta. Back up and Yuta hits the Angle Slam, setting up the seat belt to pin Rugido at 11:58.

Rating: B-. This is the definition of “it’s not for me”. The action was good and the CMLL guys are talented, but this felt like little more than an exhibition as you had people coming in from a different promotion and getting a match against a top faction because it’s Forbidden Door season. I’m sure the CMLL guys will have a match at the pay per view and it will be good, but it’s likely nothing that is going to interest me very much.

Chris Jericho explains how to scoop chicken and dumplings. I have no idea who thinks this is funny but they should be severely punished.

Video on Daniel Garcia.

The Acclaimed threaten the Young Bucks.

Post break the Young Bucks talk to the Patriarchy, with Christian Cage wanting another title shot. They agree to keep up their partnership.

Mariah May vs. Saraya

Toni Storm/Luther and Harley Cameron/Zak Knight are here too. May wears an Outcasts jacket to the ring so Saraya jumps her to start fast. The big chase is on with May getting suckered into a superkick so Saraya can look at the camera. May is sent hard into the barricade and we take a break.

Back with May winning a slugout and hitting a hard headbutt. May hurricanranas her out of the corner and hits a missile dropkick for two. The running hip attack gives May two but Saraya is back up with Rampage for the same. Saraya grabs the Scorpion Crosslock for the win at 9:06.

Rating: C. This was a weird situation as Saraya hasn’t been doing much of anything lately and she beat May, who has at least been presented as a big deal, clean. The match wasn’t exactly great either, as Saraya isn’t exactly as sharp in the ring as she used to be. Maybe we’re getting ready for Saraya to be in a title match down the line, but otherwise this was way out of left field.

Post match Storm comes in to check on May but the Outcasts beat Storm and May down. Mina Shirakawa runs in for the save. May hugs both Mina and Toni.

Chris Jericho tells Private Party that they should open up their party and make it public. An argument ensues.

Bryan Danielson is happy with Wheeler Yuta for winning but isn’t happy with his own losses. He isn’t done with his last year yet though and now he wants in on the Owen Hart Cup to go on to a World Title shot at All In. Danielson getting fired up for anything is a good thing, but it’s still hard to fathom him winning anything big.

AEW World Title: Swerve Strickland vs. Roderick Strong

Swerve is defending and Prince Nana/the Kingdom are here too. They go technical to start until Swerve grabs a headscissors into an armdrag. It’s too early for the House Call though and Strong bails out to the floor. Back in and Swerve starts in on Strong’s knee but an Undisputed Kingdom distraction breaks up the Swerve Stomp. Strong backbreakers Swerve onto the turnbuckle but his dropkick through the ropes is blocked. Swerve posts him hard and we take a break.

Back with Swerve fighting out of a seated abdominal stretch and starting the comeback. The middle rope elbow to the back sets up a brainbuster for two and we slow down a bit. The powerbomb into a powerslam gets two on Strong but the threat of the House Call sends Strong outside. They go outside with Swerve diving onto the Kingdom, allowing Strong to send him into the steps. Back in and Strong hits a Codebreaker to cut off a comeback. The Sick Kick gives Strong two but Swerve sends him to the apron for the Stomp. Back in and the House Call retains the title at 14:10.

Rating: B. This is the kind of match where you know it’s going to be good because the wrestlers are rather talented. Strong isn’t going to be a top level challenger but he is perfect for a spot like this as he made Swerve look good. Rather nice main event here, and sometimes you just need to have that kind of a match.

Overall Rating: C+. They were having a weird balancing act here as it was a mixture of good to ok at best wrestling, the Forbidden Door stuff (which I find a chore to get through) and whatever the heck they’re trying for with those Jericho segments. Those things were TERRIBLE and not in a way that makes me want to see someone beat Jericho (whomever that is going to be as he doesn’t seem to have any serious challenges at the moment) but rather wanting to wring the neck of whomever allowed it on TV. There are good parts to this show and it is NOT bad, but egads the rough parts ranged from boring to dreadful.

Results
Rey Fenix b. Jay Lethal, Orange Cassidy and Kyle O’Reilly – Small package to Lethal
Mark Briscoe b. Brian Cage – Froggy Bow
Blackpool Combat Club b. Team CMLL – Seat Belt to Rugido
Saraya b. Mariah May – Scorpion Crosslock
Swerve Strickland b. Roderick Strong – House Call

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Dynamite
Date: May 29, 2024
Location: Kia Forum, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

We’re done with Double Or Nothing and in for the build to Forbidden Door next month. That means we are likely going to be getting a bunch of guest stars on the show and that could make for some interesting situations. Other than that, we have a Casino Gauntlet match for the #1 contendership to the World Title and that should be a blast. Let’s get to it.

Here is Double Or Nothing if you need a recap.

Here is Mercedes Mone for her big championship celebration, complete with balloons. She asks if she was worth the wait (eh…..) and brags about tearing the house down with Willow Nightingale. Mone knew Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway would screw Nightingale over but she wants Nightingale to come back better than ever. We are about a month away from Forbidden Door and….here is Skye Blue to pop up on screen and reveal that she attacked Mone a few weeks ago. Then Blue runs in to attack her and pose with the belt. This felt like Mone was all good again and….I have no idea why that would even be suggested.

Long video on Double Or Nothing.

Swerve Strickland vs. Killswitch

Non-title. Killswitch knocks him to the floor but Swerve gets in a kick to the knee to slow him down. A neckbreaker in the ring and another on the floor drop Killswitch but he sends Swerve into the steps. They go back inside for some pummeling in the corner and we take a break.

Back with Swerve not being able to get a triangle choke on but kicking Killswitch down anyway. Swerve can’t get a suplex so Killswitch chokeslams him down for two instead. Killswitch grabs a chair but gets it pulled away, allowing Swerve to hit the Stomp off the apron. Swerve gets knocked down again back inside but comes right back with a German suplex. The House Call into the Swerve Stomp gets two, because the World Champion can’t get a clean pin off his finisher. Another House Call finishes for Swerve at 11:42.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what the point was in having the World Champion (who is in the second segment rather than opening the show) hit one of his finishers for a near fall in a pretty nothing match but oh well. At least Swerve didn’t have some kind of screwy result here, as he’s not exactly treated as the top star in the company. In theory this moves him on from the Patriarchy, and at least Killswitch gets to look strong in defeat because….I still have no idea why that needed to happen.

Swerve gets his hair back from Killswitch.

We get an announcement from Tony Khan by way of Tony Schiavone: Mercedes Mone is defending against Skye Blue tonight. This was hyped up earlier as a big announcement. I think we can call that a stretch.

Jon Moxley is ready for Rocky Romero tonight and lists off a bunch of places he’ll be wrestling, mainly in Japan.

It’s time for Chris Jericho’s TV Time segment, the Learning Tree. Big Bill talks about how important it is to learn before Jericho talks about how many get called but few actually go. You should always have a cherry on top of your ice cream, and now we see the new member of the Learning Tree: Bryan Keith! Cue Keith, who thinks more people should respect Jericho, who yells at fans for swearing. Cue Hook to go after them but Samoa Joe cuts him off. I have no idea what they’re going for with the Jericho stuff but I can’t believe they’re going this badly on purpose. This was terrible.

We look at Jon Moxley beating Konosuke Takeshita at Double Or Nothing, though commentary thought it was a look at a woman named Stephanie Vaquer.

Video on Stephanie Vaquer, who is probably going to be at Forbidden Door.

Jon Moxley vs. Rocky Romero

Non-title and Moxley’s shoulder is in bad shape coming in. Romero goes right after the bad arm and kicks away at it before sending Moxley out to the apron. The arm is cranked around the ropes as Moxley is still in trouble as we take a break. Back with Moxley hitting a one armed superplex, followed by an exchange of strikes.

Moxley knocks him into the corner but gets caught in a tornado DDT. Romero gets the cross armbreaker and cranks away until Moxley manages to get to his feet. Some stomping gets Moxley out of trouble and a big clothesline into the Death Rider finishes Romero off at 10:46.

Rating: C+. The problem here is Romero has been treated as a jobber for months. Fans have learned to believe that he isn’t going to win a match. That makes it really hard to care about him facing a big star because there is zero reason to believe that he’s going to win. It’s watching a long term winner facing a long term loser but it’s getting time anyway. That’s going to leave fans feeling like their time is being wasted and that’s not good.

Samoa Joe and Hook seem to threaten the Learning Tree.

Here is Don Callis to offer a contract to Orange Cassidy. Cue Cassidy, who rips the contract up. Cassidy: “Hey Don. No.” Callis is livid, but here are Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway to reveal that their friend has joined the Don Callis Family. Cue Trent Beretta, in a suit, to jump Cassidy and bust him open. Trent and Callis hug as I try to figure out why the feud is continuing after Cassidy pinned Trent clean.

Daniel Garcia is ready to come after the International Title.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Skye Blue

Mone is defending and knocks Blue down fast. They’re quickly on the floor with Mone hitting the Meteora off the apron for two back inside. A hanging neckbreaker gives Blue two and we take an early break. Back with Mone hitting a Backstabber for two but Blue is back with the spinning full nelson faceplant for two of her own. Code Blue is loaded up but Mone reverses into the Mone Maker for the pin at 7:42.

Rating: C. So Mone’s first AEW match was hyped up with about a month’s notice, but her second gets about an hour? This felt like a quick way to close a storyline threat with the mystery attacker and points for that, but it’s also quite the quick way to wrap it up. That’s not a bad thing and I like them at least covering it, though having it as Mone’s first title defense was a bit weird.

Post match Stephanie Vaquer comes out to stare Mone down. That’s quite the rushed “dream” match but that’s kind of the nature of Forbidden Door.

Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander do not like Willow Nightingale. Statlander says everyone is going to need protection from her.

Video on MJF, who has signed a new long term deal with the company.

Here is the Elite to address the future of the TNT Title. They all brag about how great the week has been for the team, including Double Or Nothing and their shoe launch. The Bucks have a present for Okada, and we see a black Lamborghini in the parking lot, with RAIN MAKR plates. Okada is in tears but now we have to move on to business.

Adam Copeland has broken his leg (as Matt told him to do before the match), meaning Copeland is stripped of the TNT Title. And Jack Perry is the new champion! Cue Christopher Daniels to say not so fast, because Tony Khan has named him the Interim Executive Vice President, so he’s here to make announcements for Khan. Perry isn’t the champion because we’re going to have a bunch of qualifying matches….for the LADDER MATCH for the TNT Title at Forbidden Door. The Elite go after Daniels but Billy Gunn and the Acclaimed make the save.

So Tony Khan is back at AEW TV (or at least events, as he was at Double Or Nothing) and gave a message by way of Schiavone earlier tonight, yet for some reason he now has to have an official talker as Daniels is their version of a General Manager. This is feeling like the dark days of WWE, when you needed a chart to keep track of how many people have power. They really don’t need to continue with this and with Khan back in person at all, as he seems to be, the Bucks should more or less be out of authority in the first place.

Swerve Strickland is ready for all challengers.

Rush calls out MJF, who will be here next week. Not this week, but next week.

Casino Gauntlet

The winner gets a World Title shot at Forbidden Door and it is one fall to a finish, which could come at any time. There are 21 entrants and they come out at “random times”, with Jay White in at #1 and Pac in at #2. Pac jumps him to start and they’re quickly on the floor with White being sent into various hard objects. A big flip dive takes White out again and a missile dropkick gets two.

Mistico is in at #3 and clears the ring as I wonder why they didn’t, I don’t know, advertise having one of the biggest stars in the world on their show. A big dive takes out White and Pac and we take a break. Back with Will Ospreay in at #4 and going straight after Mistico. Ospreay and Pac yell at each other but Mistico breaks it up. Shota Umino (Jon Moxley’s former lackey) is in at #5 and gets to clean house but White knocks him down.

Claudio Castagnoli is in at #6 and uppercuts Umino for a fast two. There’s the Swing to White and we take another break. Back again with Lio Rush (geez) in at #7 and kicks Castagnoli out to the floor. Umino and Rush trade clotheslines until Castagnoli runs them both over.

Orange Cassidy, with a taped up head, is in at #8 and has to knee his way out of Castagnoli’s suplex. A running DDT plants Castagnoli but Ospreay is back up for the staredown with Cassidy. That’s broken up and Hechicero is in at #9 to clean house again. Mistico is back up with a headscissors to put Castagnoli on the floor, setting up a big hurricanrana from the top. White and Pac are back in but Ospreay breaks up the Blade Runner. Cassidy hurricanranas Ospreay for two but gets caught with the Oscutter for the pin at 22:15.

Rating: B. Match quality aside (as there is only so much you can do in this kind of a match), this was FUN. They have something with this idea and if they can fine tune it a bit, and maybe not do it as frequently, they’ve got a match type that works for this kind of thing. I wanted to see who was coming through that curtain next and that is a very cool feeling to have. Ospreay winning is certainly weird, but if he wins the World Title, at least it will streamline the top of the card on the good guys’ side a bit.

Strickland comes out to stare Ospreay down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Yowza this show felt all over the place. Between Strickland winning a match that felt like it should have set up his match with Christian, Moxley needing ten minutes to beat Romero, Mone’s attacker being revealed and then beating her in an hour, the EVP nonsense and Jericho’s talk show train wreck, I had no idea what the focal point of any of this show was supposed to be. It felt like something from the late 90s on Raw when things were just thrown out there with the slightest bit of logic or reasoning with the hopes that no one would notice.

But then there was that main event and it felt like what AEW was supposed to be about. It was a case of mixing up a bunch of cool stars who you could see getting the chance and then one of them got there. Yes it was complete chaos, but it was FUN chaos. That’s something that can do a lot of good for a show, and this one certainly needed it. The first hour and forty minutes of this were a near car crash with stuff feeling like it was being written as fast as possible, but the main event was the wrestlers getting to showcase themselves in a good way. Maybe it was an off week, but they need to change some things up.

Results
Swerve Strickland b. Killswitch – House Call
Jon Moxley b. Rocky Romero – Death Rider
Mercedes Mone b. Skye Blue – Mone Maker
Will Ospreay won the Casino Gauntlet match – Oscutter to Cassidy

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Double Or Nothing 2024
Date: May 26, 2024
Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

It’s back to one of the biggest pay per views on the AEW calendar as it’s the five year anniversary show. The show has a triple main event, though Anarchy In The Arena has been presented as by far the biggest thing on the card. Other than that, Swerve Strickland defends the World Title against Christian Cage and Mercedes Mone makes her in-ring debut. Let’s get to it.

Buy-In: Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Rosa backs her into the corner to start and snaps off a running headscissors. A running dropkick puts Purrazzo on the floor and there’s a dropkick through the ropes. Back in and Purrazzo gets in a shot of her own to take over and starts in on the arm. The armbar goes on but Rosa fights up, with a double crossbody putting both of them down. A neckbreaker drops Purrazzo again and Rosa hits the hard running dropkick against the ropes.

Purrazzo catches her in the Tree of Woe for the running shoulder to the ribs but Rosa is right back with a cobra clutch of all things. That’s escaped so Rosa hits a discus forearm for two but the Tijuana Bomb is countered into the Fujiwara armbar. Rosa slips out and hits a Backstabber into the cobra clutch again. This time Purrazzo stacks her up and uses the ropes for the pin at 10:13.

Rating: C+. I’m surprised by the ending but at least Purrazzo might be getting a renewed push. She’s rather good at the evil heel thing and gets even better when you throw in the submission skills. Rosa losing again isn’t the best sign for her but she has the charisma to build herself right back up with a few wins.

Buy-In: Acclaimed/Billy Gunn vs. Cage Of Agony

Caster and Kaun start things off, with the latter powering him into the corner. Kaun misses a charge but scores with a clothesline for a fast two. It’s off to Gunn, who wants, and receives, Cage for a pose off. Cage shoulders him into the corner and strikes a double bicep before yelling on the ropes a lot. Gunn knocks him over and poses as well before punching Cage into the corner.

Everything breaks down and all of them brawl out to the floor, where Bowens is sent knee first into the steps. Back in and a backbreaker onto the turnbuckle drops Caster, setting up Cage’s apron superplex. Kaun chokes in the corner and Cage drives in the shoulders to the ribs. Caster gets in a shot of his own though and nails a high crossbody on Kaun. Toa is right there to cut the tag off, only to miss a middle rope splash.

A kick away is enough for the tag off to Gunn as the pace picks up. Everything breaks down and Toa runs Gunn over, leaving Cage to discus lariat Caster. Bowens dives in for the limping save but is knocked outside in a hurry. Cage grabs a chair but the Las Vegas Golden Knights mascot runs in to take it away. The distraction lets Gunn grab a small package to pin Kaun at 11:43.

Rating: C. So now the Acclaimed and Gunn are getting reheated again? After Cage and the Gates just turned on Swerve a few weeks ago? That’s quite the interesting choice, as you would think the villains getting a win could establish them as something. Anyway, not a terrible match, but absolutely not something that needed to be added to the card.

Post match we get a scissoring with the mascot. Ah so that’s why they won.

The opening video talks about whether wrestlers will claim their dreams or leave them in the desert. The graphics with the casino theme work well here.

International Title: Roderick Strong vs. Will Ospreay

Strong, with the Kingdom, is defending, Don Callis is on commentary, and Ospreay tries a Hidden Blade at the bell. That doesn’t work but Ospreay knocks him outside, where Strong gets in a quick shot. Ospreay flips out of an attempted backbreaker onto the barricade and nails Strong as they head back inside. A backbreaker puts Strong down but the Kingdom manages to interfere and hit a Doomsday Device on the floor, with Ospreay landing head first on the floor in a terrifying spot. The fans get quiet but Ospreay is ok enough to go back inside and they slug it out.

Strong flips out of a quick abdominal stretch attempt and tries a not so complete crossface. That’s broken up and Strong chops away but Ospreay knocks him out of the air and hits a running boot in the corner. The Kingdom offers another distraction and Wardlow comes in, only to get caught as well. Somehow none of this is a DQ so Ospreay goes up and hits a corkscrew moonsault onto all of the villains, who are ejected.

A top rope clothesline gives Ospreay two back inside, followed by a bridging suplex for the same. Ospreay knocks him off the top and tries a twisting moonsault but has to stick the landing, only to damage his knee in the process. Strong is right there with a Texas Cloverleaf, with Ospreay crawling over to the ropes. Strong’s faceplant gets two and a superplex gets the same as frustration is setting in. A kick to the head is loaded up but Ospreay reverses into a sitout powerbomb for the double down.

Back up and they slug it out with Ospreay escaping End Of Heartache. Ospreay’s Styles Clash is countered and the Oscutter connects, only for the bad knee to give Strong enough time to kick out. The referee checks on Strong so Callis tells Ospreay to hit the tiger driver 91 since Strong “is going to the hospital anyway”. Ospreay loads it up but can’t bring himself to do it, allowing Strong to hit an Angle Slam. The Sick Kick gets two but End Of Heartache is escaped. A running elbow sets up the Hidden Blade to give Ospreay the pin and the title at 17:57. Callis: “WE WON!”

Rating: B. There were a lot of shenanigans going on around here and while they were a bit much, how else were you going to add drama to this? Strong is a solid star but Ospreay has been presented as one of the biggest stars in the company since he debuted. They had a good back and forth match but Strong wasn’t winning here no matter what happened.

Post match here’s Adam Cole for a chat. He shouldn’t be here because he should be back there with the Undisputed Kingdom or the Young Bucks, or maybe rehabbing his ankle. Cole pulls out the Devil mask and says he’ll be back to make you give the Devil his due. Then the lights go out and we see what looks like a point of view shot inside MJF’s house, with the person pulling out a torn picture of Cole and MJF.

Cue MJF, in a 2002 HHH leather jacket/sleeveless vest look, to hug Cole and then kick him low. A brainbuster plants Cole and MJF calls him a “noodle armed Bobble Head son of a b****.” Cole is carried out and MJF says he trusted him, which is never happening again. MJF says he is the greatest wrestler in the world and hits the catchphrase. The catch is he doesn’t need a New Japan or a Vince McMahon (big gasp on that) because MJF made MJF.

We’re done with the Kangaroo Kicks and associated BS because it’s time for him to bring the hate again. MJF picks up the mask, which he says adorn cowards who want to hide. He’s done hiding and apologizing for the fact that he is the best. It’s not his fault that all of your favorites suck a big old bag of donkey d**** but this mask, and everything it symbolizes, can go straight to h***. He drops a Ric Flair elbow on the mask and says he’s all in, double or nothing. As for his contract status, he points to an AEW tattoo on his leg and says you can bet on him, because he’s not f****** (not censored) leaving.

This was VERY long but MJF looks great and feels like the biggest star in the company all over again. He has more ability on the mic than almost anyone you could imagine and the fans are buying everything he does. Just get done with the Devil stuff already and let it be over for good.

We recap the Trios Title match, which saw the Bang Bang Gang annoying Pac, who reformed Death Triangle to come after the titles.

Trios Titles: Death Triangle vs. Bang Bang Gang

The Gang is defending and Pac runs Colten over to start. Austin and Penta come in, with the Triangle wasting no time in triple teaming him down. One heck of a What’s Up but White takes Pac down with a neckbreaker to take over. The villains take Pac into the corner where he strikes away, only to get dropped throat first across the top rope. The half crab goes on but Pac kicks his way out and rolls between the Gunns for the tag off to Penta.

House is cleaned, with Fenix being launched up for a splash to Austin with White making the save. White gets kicked into a twisting Death Valley Driver for two and everything breaks down for a six way knockdown. Pac goes up for the Black Arrow but the Gunns slid in a bat, allowing Juice Robinson to run in and crotch Pac. The Blade Runner retains the titles at 12:18.

Rating: B-. The ending is nice to see as the Gang retains the titles and gets back the person who made them feel special in the first place. Robinson is a great addition and I’m curious to see where they go from here. The match was entertaining but it never hit that level I was expecting. Maybe they could have gotten there with more time, though I can take a good match any day.

We recap Toni Storm defending the Women’s Title against Serena Deeb. Storm has beaten a bunch of people with different styles and Deeb is the wrestling genius. Deeb is also back after some serious medical issues and is ready to FINALLY win the title. Storm doesn’t seem impressed, as tends to be her custom.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Serena Deeb

Storm is defending and has Mariah May and Luther in her corner. They go with the grappling to start, with Deeb tying her up in the Paradise Lock for the running dropkick. Deeb grabs a dragon screw legwhip to start in on the knee, setting up an Octopus. With that broken up, Deeb hits another dragon screw and the knee is in event more trouble.

Deeb cranks away on the mat but Storm fights up, only to get slapped several times in a row. A neckbreaker drops Storm again as the fans start chanting for her, much to Nigel McGuinness’ happiness. They fight over a standing switch until Deeb suplexes her down for two. Back up and they slap it out again until Storm’s chokebomb gets two more. Deeb pulls her into a half crab to go back to the knee, with May teasing throwing in the towel.

Luther cuts that off and Storm sees him, which doesn’t go well. Back in and Storm Zero gets two so they head to the apron, where another Storm Zero can’t hit. A third dragon screw legwhip has Storm in trouble and Deebtox on the apron, followed by another in the ring, gets two. Storm catches her on top with a super piledriver, followed by Storm Zero to retain at 15:38.

Rating: B-. This was slower and more to the point with Deeb taking apart the knee, but much like the opener, it was hard to fathom that the title was in any serious jeopardy. Storm feels like a major star and Deeb comes off as the challenger of the month. Deeb’s style made sense, but it was hard to buy her as being a threat to win.

We recap Trent Beretta vs. Orange Cassidy. They were best friends and then Beretta turned on him, saying Cassidy was self centered. Cassidy already beat him, but then Trent ended the career of their former friend Chuck Taylor. Therefore, it’s time for revenge.

Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta

Don Callis is on commentary…and there is no Cassidy. Hold on though as he comes out to his old music (the better one), including a dark shirt and dark jeans. They slug it out with Trent knocking him down off a shot to the throat. Cassidy sends him into the corner and hits a high crossbody, setting up a DDT out to the floor. They fight on the floor, with Cassidy knocking him around ringside until another shot to the throat cuts him down.

Back in and Beretta hits a German suplex, followed by another to keep Cassidy in trouble. Cassidy slowly starts getting up and puts his hands in his pockets…so Trent knocks him down in the corner in a smart move. Cassidy gets back up and rolls away, allowing him to kick Trent into the corner for some stomping. Trent rolls to the apron before Cassidy can come off the top, where he kicks Cassidy out of the air for the crash.

A piledriver onto the apron knocks Cassidy silly but he’s fine enough to hit a Beach Break on the floor. Back in and Trent wants a hug but gets Michinoku Drivered instead. The Stundog Millionaire is blocked, as is the spinning DDT. Instead Trent hits a clothesline, setting up Strong Zero for two more. Trent’s running knee is countered into a Beach Break for two but the Orange Punch is countered into a Codebreaker. Trent tries a choke but gets reversed into a rollup for the pin at 13:55.

Rating: B-. Now, that should end the feud for good right? Cassidy has beaten him twice now and this was 100% clean. There is no reason for the feud to continue but commentary was already saying it was far from over. Cassidy winning is fine if this is done, but get him something more important to do. He’s done the random matches for months now and it’s time to either move him up or find something completely fresh.

Post match Rocky Romero comes out to check on Trent, who says he isn’t doing this and walks out through the crowd.

FTW Title: Hook vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Chris Jericho

Jericho is defending and chops it out with Shibata to start. Hook suplexes Jericho down and it’s already time for the tables. Jericho breaks that up and sends Hook into the barricade before dropping Shibata as well. It’s time for the bag of…dice, about two and a half minutes into the match. Hook suplexes Jericho onto them and Shibata adds a slam as commentary makes craps references.

Hook suplexes both of them again but Shibata suplexes Hook to leave everyone down. It’s time for some kendo sticks, with the challengers shrugging off Jericho’s shots and beating him down with their sticks instead. Shibata knocks Hook down and whips out a table of his own. More suplexes abound and Jericho is laid on the table, with Shibata Death Valley Drivering Hook onto Jericho but not through the table. Shibata sends Jericho through the tale in the corner and adds a dropkick for two.

Hook is back up with a suplex but looks rather staggered after the table crash. Redrum goes on but Big Bill comes in for the save. Bill and Hook go crashing off the apron for a nasty landing, leaving Shibata to Figure Four Jericho. Hook comes in and adds the Redrum but here is someone in a hoodie with a trashcan for the save. And it’s Bryan Keith, who gets beaten down by Hook. Jericho Judas Effects Hook and pins Shibata (in the trashcan, meaning the shoulders weren’t on the mat so it shouldn’t have counted but that might be a bit nitpicky) to retain at 12:45.

Rating: C+. The Jericho stuff isn’t exactly thrilling and now his stable gets to grow even more. This is a match that was pretty much only there for the reveal, as Hook has to jump through another hoop to get the title back, despite being Jericho once before. The FTW Title is more or less the Hardcore Title these days and that’s not exactly something I need to see on a regular basis, especially with Jericho around so much.

We recap Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita, with Don Callis wanting Moxley to join his team but getting nowhere.

Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Non-title and Moxley has a bad shoulder thanks to Takeshita attacking him last night. Moxley slugs away to start but gets dropped with a flying clothesline. Takeshita starts taking off the tape before hitting a hammerlock slam. Moxley gets dropped hard onto the apron but bites at the head for a breather. The fans get on Callis as Takeshita fights back and chokes against the barricade.

Back in and Takeshita drops him to his knees with a single forearm. A brainbuster plants Moxley again and we hit the crossface chickenwing. That’s broken up so Takeshita kicks him in the face, only to get caught with a desperation cutter. Moxley can’t get a piledriver so Takeshita pulls him into a Fujiwara armbar instead. The rope is reached so Takeshita rips at the face for a change of pace. That gets a stern lecture from the referee, allowing Moxley to send Takeshita outside for a dive.

Back in and Moxley uses the good arm for a big clothesline but Takeshita is back with the kneeling piledriver. Takeshita loads up the running knee but gets cut off with a Paradigm Shift. They slug it out until Takeshita drops him with one heck of a forearm. Instead of covering, Takeshita hits a running knee for two and frustration is setting in.

Moxley is back up with a choke but can’t get the Death Rider. The arm is sent into the post and another big forearm, setting up Takeshita’s Death Rider for two. Callis says finish this so Takeshita grabs some chairs…but Moxley stomps him onto the chair. The Death Rider finishes Takeshita at 17:24.

Rating: B. This was another match that went long but didn’t exactly get to that next level. Moxley was working through the arm and Takeshita worked on it over and over, but much like earlier in the night, it was hard to believe that Takeshita was winning. Moxley losing in the first place is a rare sight and the IWGP World Champion losing would be even weirder.

We recap Malakai Black vs. Adam Copeland for the latter’s TNT Title. Black wanted the violent Copeland so he stole Copeland’s wedding ring. That earned him a bloodbath, and it’s in a barbed wire cage too.

TNT Title: Adam Copeland vs. Malakai Black

Copeland is defending in a barbed wire cage so naturally there are a bunch of weapons included. The End and the spear both miss so Copeland sends him over the ropes for a boot against the cage. Copeland grabs some barbed wire and rips Black’s head open but the spear is cut off with a knee. Black grabs a barbed wire baseball bat so commentary argues about Take Me Out To The Ball Game.

The bat goes into Copeland’s head to bust him open too. Black takes too long to follow up though and gets batted in the ribs. Copeland rakes Black’s face against the cage and it’s time to set up a table. It takes too long to go up though and Black superkicks Copeland down to crotch him on the ropes. A sunset bomb through the table gives Black two but the End is cut off with a standing spear (not a great one either) to give Copeland two.

Another piledriver knocks Black silly and Copeland puts him onto a table…where he wraps Black in barbed wire. Copeland goes to the top of the cage and kind of elbows him (while landing on his feet) for a rather delayed two. The spear is countered with the End for two and they both slowly get up. Black whips out…some kind of big spike, which he stabs through the mat as he misses Copeland. Black kicks him through the door and they go outside, where Copeland hits another spear.

Cue the House Of Black….to stand next to Copeland. Then they turn (?) on him about two seconds later and beat him down before heading back inside. Black whips out Copeland’s wedding ring and puts it around his neck as the House wraps Copeland in barbed wire. Then the lights go red and black and Gangrel pops up through the mat. The blood is sprayed and the former Brood cleans house, with Copeland tying Black up with the barbed wire and putting on the Grindhouse for the win at 20:11.

Rating: C. Yeah I wasn’t feeling this one, with the Gangrel appearance being the only thing that really helped it. I kept having flashbacks to last year when Copeland and Finn Balor had almost the same feud (minus the wedding ring) and it was taking away from this one. Also, just way too many weapons and barbed wire, with the cage not really being necessary. I’m sure there are going to be people who loved this and I more than get it, but WAY longer than it needed to be with too much going on in too similar of a story to what Copeland did last year.

Don Callis talks about how great a night it has been for the Family. He’ll have a contract on Dynamite for…someone, presumably Orange Cassidy.

We recap Mercedes Mone challenging Willow Nightingale for the TBS Title. Mone is making her in-ring debut and is in her first match after injuring her ankle against Nightingale in Japan. Now Mone wants revenge and to show that she is a star.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Willow Nightingale

Nightingale, with Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway, is defending and Mone gets a big entrance, complete with a bunch of drummers and showgirls. Mone begs off from Nightingale to start and we hit the dueling chants. The threat of a clothesline sends Mone bailing out to the floor, with Mone running away in a chase. Back in and Mone grabs a springboard sitout bulldog for two but Nightingale pops back up.

They head outside again where Mone gets in a kick from the apron, only to get caught with the Babe With The Powerbomb onto the same apron. Back in and Nightingale throws her hard into the corner A super Babe With The Powerbomb is broken up and Mone ties her ankle in the corner for some cranking. The jumping Meteora gets two and Mone grabs a leglock to keep Nightingale in trouble.

With that broken up, Mone grabs a dragon screw legwhip (Nightingale landed on her) and puts on an ankle lock. That’s broken up so Mone hits a Backstabber for two. An octopus goes on but Nightingale reverses into an ankle lock of her own. Mone slips out of that as well so Nightingale Pounces the heck out of her. Back up and Nightingale unloads with clotheslines in the corner, setting up a hard spinebuster for two.

The Babe With The Powerbomb is countered so Nightingale lifts her up for another powerbomb. Nightingale puts her on top but can’t get a superplex, instead settling for a shinbreaker on the apron. A swinging Prism Trap has Mone in more trouble but she avoids the Cannonball. Mone stomps on the ankle and a middle rope Meteora gets two. Nightingale rolls outside and there’s another Meteora off the apron to knock her silly.

Statlander and Hathaway get on the apron to yell, allowing Nightingale to hit the Babe With The Powerbomb…but the arguing continues. The delayed cover gets two but Mone reverses another Babe With The Powerbomb into a weird STF. That’s broken up so Mone goes up and kicks her down. The Mone Maker (a Gory Stretch spun into a knee to the face, which doesn’t go well) gives Mone the pin and the title at 18:04.

Rating: B. Well that felt inevitable. Mone might as well have had her name put on the title the second Nightingale won the thing, which is quite the shame as Nightingale FINALLY won something important and then loses it to put Mone over. I get why Mone is the bigger star, but dang this was a bit of a punch to the gut. They were having a good match with the leg work making sense, but the result is a bit saddening.

Post match Hathaway yells at Nightingale but Statlander shoves him down. Then Statlander turns on Nightingale and leaves with Hathaway.

We recap Swerve Strickland defending the World Title against Christian Cage. Strickland is mad at the Young Bucks so they’re sending Cage and the Patriarchy to take him out. Cage is also mad at Strickland for injuring Nick Wayne last year.

AEW World Title: Swerve Strickland vs. Christian Cage

Strickland, with Prince Nana (to counter Cage’s Patriarchy), is defending and we get a video about his rise to the top. They yell at each other to start and fight over a lockup as they’re not exactly going fast to start here. Cage kicks him in the ribs but gets run over with a shoulder, allowing Swerve to step on his back. The reverse DDT puts Swerve down but he avoids top rope splash.

They head outside with Swerve being sent into the barricade and Cage gets to pose back inside. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by the frog splash to give Cage two. Nick Wayne gets in a cheap shot but Swerve sends Cage hard into the corner for a breather. Cage tries a spear but Swerve lifts him up into a powerbomb, which he swings into a powerslam for two. Swerve grabs the turtleneck for some rolling neckbreakers, followed by a hanging neckbreaker over the ropes.

With Cage on the floor, Swerve hits a big flipping dive, kicking him in the head on the way down. The House Call is countered into a Sharpshooter, which is reversed into a small package for two. The Patriarchy tries to grab the belt but Nana takes it away, only to be ejected for being caught with the belt in hand. Cage distracts the referee so the Patriarchy can hammer away like good villains. Mother Wayne offers a distraction but Killswitch headbutts Cage by mistake.

Nick is taken out but the Swerve Stomp misses. The spear gives Cage two so Nick tries another distraction but this time Killswitch gets caught before the interference. That’s good for a group ejection as commentary talks about Englebert Humperdink. Swerve hits his rolling Downward Spiral for two, followed by the rolling suplex on the floor. The steps are loaded up but they roll to the apron instead, with Cage raking the eyes and trying a powerbomb.

That’s reversed into a Swerve Stomp onto the apron but Cage knocks him off the apron and HARD onto the steps. Cue Nick Wayne with Wayne’s World off the steps so the Killswitch can give Cage two. Cue Prince Nana with a pipe to chase Nick off so Cage loads up the announcers’ table.

The Killswitch is countered into a Swerve Stomp onto (not through) the table for a NASTY crash/noise. Back in and the JML Driver is countered into a rollup for two and Cage snaps the back of Swerve’s neck over the top rope. The spear is countered so Swerve hits a running House Call into the swerve Stomp for…no cover. Another House call Retains at 24:45.

Rating: B. This started slowly but got rolling by the end, with Swerve getting the big win. Cage never felt like a threat to win the title but he’s good enough to have a solid match and make Swerve look like a star in defeat. Like many things on this show, it went longer than it needed to and they did one or two too many interference spots, but it was probably the best match on the show so far.

We recap Anarchy In The Arena, which is the Young Bucks taking over AEW and a makeshift team fighting against them for the soul of the company.

Elite vs. Team AEW

That would be the Young Bucks/Jack Perry/Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson/Darby Allin/FTR and it’s Anarchy In The Arena, meaning anything goes and falls count anywhere in an arena wide fight. The brawl is on before the bell (which rings at 12:02am) and Allin runs in wearing a mask with thumbtacks. Allin’s music keeps playing until the Bucks say play THEIR music instead. Danielson: “TURN THAT S*** OFF!” He wants the best theme music in wrestling history so the Final Countdown is on.

The brawl starts going into the crowd with Harwood and Nick fighting into the concourse. Allin dives off part of the balcony onto a pile of people and we go to a four way screen for a few moments. We pause for the wrestlers to pose a bit but Matt says cut the music because it costs about $200,000 per play (ok point for a funny line).

The camera keeps cutting to different fights, with one at ringside, two in the crowd and one backstage. The fans want music and then swear about the Bucks when it doesn’t play. Okada, at ringside, pulls out a sign that says Rainmaker Drive before diving onto Danielson. Allin throws Perry in a bucket of cold water in the back but Perry chokes him with a pipe. Back in the ring, the Bucks hit a Shatter Machine for two on Harwood (who is busted open).

We cut back to outside where Perry is in a SCAPEGOAT bus to run over a pile of stuff, which may or may not contain Allin (see because Allin got hit by a bus a few weeks ago). Perry is out off the crash and we cut back to Matt getting hit with a spike piledriver (I believe the tenth or so piledriver variation of the show) onto the apron. The PowerPlex gets two with Okada making the save.

Okada’s top rope elbow hits Harwood and he flips off the fans, with Wheeler coming in to bite the finger. Allin comes back to the ring and gets two off a Code Red on Okada. The Bucks are back up to powerbomb Okada onto a bunch of chairs….and they call for the slot machine set to be raised up. They put him under the raised set but Danielson is back up to punch away. Danielson is thrown off the ramp and the TK Driver onto the big poker chips. FTR come up, with Wheeler getting dropped onto the chip but Harwood DDTs Matt onto the chip.

A bunch of superkicks knock people off the ramp and Nick pops up after a piledriver on the stage. A table is pulled out and of course the fans want fire. Okada elbows Harwood through one and Nick adds a Swanton to put Wheeler through another. We cut to Perry backstage….and he grabs Tony Khan. Perry takes him away and Allin comes into the ring with the flamethrower. Allin lights Perry on fire (finally managing to make him a hot heel) so here are the Bucks with fire extinguishers to extinguish the fire.

They go back to the ring (because LIGHTING PERRY ON FIRE wasn’t the end of the match) and Allin kicks Okada low. The Coffin Drop gets two with the Bucks making the save. With nothing else working, the Bucks tie up Allin’s legs and…FTR comes back in with a Shatter Machine (Tony: “End it already!”) for two. Nick whips out an exploding chair to take out Harwood, followed by a superkick to Wheeler.

Okada brings out an arm sleeve with thumbtacks and the Rainmaker hits Allin, but it’s time to bust out the Young Bucks’ new shoes. These come with tacks (Okada to Matt: “TRY THESE!”) and Allin is raised up, hanging upside down by his feet. The Bucks put the shoes on and pump them up for tacked superkicks to Allin. Danielson comes in and gets taken out as well but Nick kicks Matt by mistake.

Danielson hits a running knee and takes one of the shoes, which knocks out the Bucks. A bunch of kicks have the Bucks down and a running knee into a chair hits Matt for two as Okada makes the save. Tony: “WHEN WILL THIS THING END?” The Bucks are back up with the EVP Trigger as the fans want help for Allin (who is STILL hanging upside down). Perry hits a running knee to pin Danielson at 29:55, as he shrugs off being lit on fire and pins one of the biggest stars in the world as Perrymania continues to not be a thing.

Rating: D+. Yeah I know some people are going to love this and cool if you did but DANG this was long and came at the end of a 5+ hour show. This was a total stunt show that needed about fifteen minutes cut out. It had some rather creative and painful looking stuff, but when someone is set on fire and the match goes on for ten more minutes, you’re going too long.

The Bucks get to keep running roughshod over the company, despite Tony Khan being back for the shows, making their power worthless. I’m sure that won’t be the case because the Bucks must continue, but that’s another problem for another time. The best thing here was that Khan didn’t join the Elite (yet) but this went WAY too long and I was long past ready for the show to end.

The Elite celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show went off the air at 12:33am and that sums up the biggest problem. Sunday was the fifth straight day of Tony Khan produced wrestling that I’ve watched and it’s too much. That was the case this week and it was DEFINITELY the case with this show, which went on and on. There is such a thing as burning out fans on a show and that’s what I was feeling by the end, as it just kept going.

The wrestling wasn’t exactly great either, with Strickland vs. Cage being the best thing on the show and even then it wasn’t something I want to watch again. I’m sure there are going to be very different opinions on the main event, but after a barbed wire cage match (with vampire cameo), the FTW hardcore match and chairs in Moxley vs. Takeshita, plus other assorted violence, I really wasn’t that interested in a bunch of people walking around and no selling stuff for thirty minutes.

Overall, this show just wasn’t very interesting. It wasn’t terrible or even bad, but there were a lot of results that felt obvious coming in and nothing on the show that I’d want to watch again. The show didn’t have me interested coming in and then it didn’t exactly deliver, which isn’t a good sign as AEW has long since lived off its great pay per view reputation. Maybe next month’s show is better, but this didn’t quite click for me.

Results
Deonna Purrazzo b. Thunder Rosa – Rollup with ropes
Billy Gunn/Acclaimed b. Cage Of Agony – Small package to Toa
Will Ospreay b. Roderick Strong – Hidden Blade
Bang Bang Gang b. Death Triangle – Blade Runner to Pac
Toni Storm b. Serena Deeb – Storm Zero
Orange Cassidy b. Trent Beretta – Rollup
Chris Jericho b. Hook and Katsuyori Shibata – Trashcan shot to Shibata
Jon Moxley b. Konosuke Takeshita – Death Rider
Adam Copeland b. Malakai Black – Grindhouse
Mercedes Mone b. Willow Nightingale – Mone Maker
Elite b. Team AEW – Running knee to Danielson

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We’re back on pay per view and the card is looking like it could go in a variety of ways. AEW is promoting this as a triple main event with a rather interesting set of matches on top, though your taste in the recent storytelling efforts may vary. The good thing is AEW tends to focus on the in-ring wrestling with its pay per views and that tends to go rather well. Let’s get to it.

Buy-In: Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo

This is a feud that has been built up in recent weeks and now we get to see what happens when they face off. Both of them could use a big win and they are going to be given the chance to make it happen here. Purrazzo has lost rather frequently but Rosa is the bigger star and a former Women’s Champion. That leaves you with a pair of viable options, which makes this more fun.

I’ll go with Rosa to win here, as she is the bigger star and could easily be moved into either Women’s Title picture. Rosa has been driven nuts by Purrazzo in recent weeks and it should be time to see her get revenge. Purrazzo is not exactly in the best place either, and while I would like to see her win, it makes more sense for Rosa to win here, as she has more potential to jump up the ladder.

Buy-In: Billy Gunn/Acclaimed vs. Brian Cage/Gates Of Agony

Here we have a match between two groups who are in rather different places. Gunn and the Acclaimed lost the Trios Titles not that long ago but they could not feel colder if they were actively trying. They have nothing going on and it’s hard to fathom them getting back to the top of the mountain anytime soon. At the same time, Cage and the Gates aren’t doing much better, but that is pretty normal for them.

This almost has to be Cage and the Gates here, as they just recently split from Swerve Strickland and need to get a win to make themselves feel less worthless. Gunn and the Acclaimed probably need the win more, but I don’t think I can picture it happening. At some point the Acclaimed need to find something to do away from Gunn and hanging another loss on them might make them go in the right direction.

Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita

This is non-title but if Takeshita wins, he gets a future IWGP World Title shot. The whole thing is taking place because of international wrestling politics, which makes it quite the mess, but maybe they can tie it into Forbidden Door. For now though, we should be in for a heck of a fight, as Moxley will brawl with anyone and Takeshita is always a treat to watch no matter what he is doing.

Since it’s Takeshita in a high profile match, I’ll go with Moxley winning, making the stipulation an even bigger waste of time. Maybe Don Callis helps Takeshita win, but at the end of the day, AEW likes having Takeshita look great on the way to big matches, put on a heck of a performance, and then come up short. This should be a good one though, and hopefully they get the chance to show just how good Takeshita is. Before he loses.

Trent Beretta vs. Orange Cassidy

This is a rematch from a few weeks ago where Cassidy won the first match against his big rival/ex-friend. That should mean we’re in for a more violent match, but in this case we’re not seeing any kind of special stipulation. Cassidy has an extra reason to go after Beretta following the attack on Chuck Taylor, but right now he isn’t exactly getting a big chance to get revenge.

I’ll go with Beretta winning here, as there is pretty much nothing left for him to do at the moment if he loses. Beretta has been built up as a pretty impressive heel as he went after one of the most popular stars on the roster. That being said, I’m not sure I can imagine Cassidy losing, even if it makes more sense for it to happen. I’ll stick with Beretta here, though him losing wouldn’t surprise me at all.

International Title: Roderick Strong(c) vs. Will Ospreay

This is one of the weirder matches on the show, as you do not often see the champion feeling like such a huge underdog. Ospreay has been presented as an ace since the day he debuted for the company and there is no reason to believe that doesn’t continue. Strong is the best thing about the Undisputed Kingdom, but I’m really not sure how much that means.

Give me Ospreay to win here, as I’ll go with what makes the most sense. I’m not sure I can imagine Ospreay losing so soon, as there is a very good chance that he is going to wind up in a top match at All In later this year. While the title is beneath what Ospreay has been doing lately, maybe he can elevate it up a bit. Ospreay wins here, as he is a few miles ahead of what Strong is doing.

TNT Title: Adam Copeland(c) vs. Malakai Black

Their feud is about the title, a weird obsession with being creepy, and Black stealing Copeland’s wedding ring. In addition to all of that, the match is going to be in a barbed wire steel cage, because we’re going to be seeing something rather violent and insane. Or it winds up being a huge disappointment, which is a tendency with big gimmick matches around AEW.

I’ll take Black winning here, as he needs to do something other than lose over and over. His team has been wrecked over and over by Copeland but giving him the win and the title should help things out quite a bit. It should be a violent match, but maybe Kyle O’Reilly comes in to cost Copeland the title for some reason or something like that. Either way, Black needs the win here more than Copeland, though it should be a violent war no matter what.

Trios Titles: Bang Bang Gang(c) vs. Death Triangle

It’s nice to see actual teams competing for the titles, as there are only so many viable options to come after them. While Death Triangle feels like a relic of the past, they do at least look like a heck of a threat to come after the titles. This has the potential to be a heck of a fight, and if they go completely insane, it will have a chance to steal a lot of the rather large show.

I’m thinking the Gang retains, as there is little reason to suggest that Death Triangle will stick around. The three of them are often leaving in one way or another and it would be a bit of a stretch to put the titles on them. The Gang doesn’t have much else going on, but seeing them carry that many belts around is kind of amusing. The champions retain here, and hopefully they do it in an awesome fight.

FTW Title: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Hook vs. Katsuyori Shibata

This is one of the more controversial stories in AEW at the moment, as Jericho is doing a weird condescending heel deal where he tries to be all nice but the fans are sick of him because it isn’t that good. He is also taking credit for everyone’s success, including Hook and Shibata. That makes for a rather odd match but here we are anyway, with the title on the line.

I’ll go with what makes sense in such a triple threat and say Jericho retains, likely after one of the other two does all the work for the finish but Jericho steals it. That would be the logical way to go for what he has been doing lately, but I’m not sure how well it will be received. Jericho is trying something new at the moment but that really doesn’t mean he is making it work. It should be enough to retain here though.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Serena Deeb

I’m not sure I can explain what Storm is doing at the moment, but she seems to be feuding or dealing with Mina Shirakawa, Mariah May and Deeb all at once. This feud seems to be the most personal of the three, as Deeb has attacked Storm’s knee, with Storm promising revenge. The quality of the match is going to depend on how serious Storm takes this, which could go in a bunch of ways.

As messy as Storm’s situation is, I’m not sure I can imagine her losing here so we’ll say she retains. Storm has a lot going on at the moment and while Deeb can wrestle a good match with anyone, I can’t picture her winning the title. Looking at everything else Storm has been doing, it is clear that she has a lot going on and I don’t think she is going to lose the title before she gets there.

TBS Title: Willow Nightingale(c) vs. Mercedes Mone

Here we have the first of the three main events and while it might not seem like the biggest match, it has definitely been treated incredibly seriously. That being said, your mileage may on how Mone has been doing as she has only been so interesting since showing up. Maybe she can knock it out of the park here, but I’ve only been somewhat interested in what she has been doing since debut.

I’ll likely regret this one but I’ll actually take Nightingale to win here. She’s the one the fans want to see right now and while AEW loves itself some heels, it would feel like a horrible idea to take the title off of Nightingale. I’m sure Mone is going to get the title sooner than later as AEW has poured a lot of money into her, but having her come in and take the title in her first match would not feel right. I’ll take Nightingale in a pick I’m pretty sure is going to be wrong.

AEW World Title: Swerve Strickland(c) vs. Christian Cage

Strickland is the star that the AEW fans chose and yet he might be the third biggest story in the company right now. It’s a shame as he could be in for a great story, but instead we’re getting Cage seeking revenge for Strickland attacking Nick Wayne a year ago. That might be logical, but it doesn’t exactly make for the most thrilling situation. Strickland gave Cage a good beatdown on Dynamite, though we need something a bit better to make it work.

There is almost no reason to believe Cage is winning here, as he seems much more of a person there to give Strickland a nice win. That is a perfectly fine way to go, though Strickland is only going to be able to get so much when he is so far from the top of the company. Hopefully that changes after this, but for now it should be Strickland retaining in a good match.

Elite vs. Team AEW

Whether it goes on last or not, this is absolutely the main event of the show. It’s Anarchy In The Arena, which should be a wild brawl all over the place. The big story here would seem to be the return of Tony Khan, who popped up in a car on Dynamite to bring Darby Allin, and a flamethrower, to the show. That’s certainly a way to go and it has me worried about what we’ll see.

While there is a very good case for this being the end of the evil Young Bucks, I’ll take the Elite to win and continue their dominance. What scares me the most is the idea of Khan joining the team in some weird Vince McMahon/Eric Bischoff deal, but if that doesn’t happen and Khan is back, I’m not sure why it should continue anyway. Either way, the Elite win and I’ll be scared about how it happens.

Overall Thoughts

There is potential here for this to be a really good show. While the storylines have been hit or miss as of late, AEW has an incredibly talented roster who can pull off some near miracles. If they are able to do that here then we should be in for a strong night, but they are going to have to nail quite a few things, especially near the top of the card. That main event could go in a few different ways though and odds are that is what will get the focus after the night is over.

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Collision
Date: May 25, 2024
Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the last show before Double Or Nothing and the show has a little more work to be done. There is a good chance that a match or two, plus something on the Buy-In, could be added here as they have a lot of people with nothing to do. Other than that we should be in for some interesting action, including the Gunns vs. the Lucha Bros. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Here is Jon Moxley for a chat and it is five years to the day of his AEW debut. Before he can say anything, cue Don Callis to interrupt. Callis talks about how he and Moxley got together to beat Kenny Omega last year. Moxley is blamed for putting the 24 stitches in Callis’ head, with the fans wanting it ONE MORE TIME.

Then Moxley said Callis was one of them now, because they are two of the same people. They’re both high functioning sociopaths and if they got together, no one could stop them. He wants to know what it takes to get this deal with Moxley done. Moxley offers to put 24 more stitches in his head but here is Konosuke Takeshita to jump Moxley from behind. Moxley’s arm is Pillmanized and the Blackpool Combat Club come in for the too late save.

After Dynamite, a ticked off and bloody Will Ospreay swore vengeance against Roderick Strong. Ospreay can bring the intensity when he needs to and it was on full display here.

Claudio Castagnoli/Daniel Garcia/??? vs. Righteous/Lance Archer

The good guys need a partner and here is….Hiroshi Tanahashi! Well that works. The fans are impressed and it’s Castagnoli trading shoulders with Dutch to start. Dutch easily slams him but Castagnoli gives him one of his own. Garcia comes in and knocks Vincent into the corner before Tanahashi comes in for Twist And Shout to Archer. Tanahashi’s guitar accompanies Garcia’s dancing but Archer breaks it up as we take a break.

Back with Garcia suplexing his way out of trouble and handing it off to Tanahashi to forearm away at Archer. Everything breaks down and Castagnoli plants Archer but the High Fly Flow is broken up. Orange Sunshine hits Tanahashi but Castagnoli makes the save. Everything breaks down and Tanahashi Sling Blades Archer down. The High Fly Flow gives Tanahashi the pin at 9:35.

Rating: C+. The action was ok enough but obviously this was about the surprise with Tanahashi of all people showing up as a mystery partner. There’s a good chance that this is the first step towards Forbidden Door and if that is the case, it makes sense to start with a huge name. Not a great match, but a fine way to use ten minutes.

Video on the greatness of the Young Bucks and everything they have done for AEW, with Team AEW daring to stand up to them.

Lucha Bros vs. The Gunns

If the Bros win, tomorrow’s six man match is for the titles. Penta and Colten start things off with the Bros clearing the ring rather quickly. The Gunns take over on the floor and it’s Penta in trouble in the corner back inside. Austin comes in to hammer away and we take a break. Back with Penta hitting a superkick and handing it off to Fenix to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and a Fameasser gets two on Fenix, with Penta making the save. The 3:10 To Yuma is broken up and the spike Fear Factor finishes Colten at 8:14.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to have the Lucha Bros back, though it’s hard to fathom that they are actually going to stick around for a long time. When they’re on their game, they’re one of the best teams around though and it should be a good fight tomorrow with the Trios Titles on the line. They didn’t waste time with this one and it wound up being a hot enough match.

Chris Jericho, with Big Bill, knows he has to work hard tomorrow to win but he believes he can do it. Bryan Keith comes in to say Jericho will see him again. Jericho: “Thanks Bryan!”

Kyle O’Reilly vs. KM

KM strikes away to start but charges into a boot in the corner. O’Reilly pulls him into the cross armbreaker for the tap at 1:09.

Video on Mercedes Mone.

We look at Mone brawling with Willow Nightingale last night on Rampage.

Here is Nightingale for a chat. Nightingale says you can’t have a show on TBS without the TBS Champion but last night, Mone put her hands on the title. They are way past respect and Nightingale promises to wreck Mone tomorrow night. She broke her neck a few years ago and fought through that, so Mone isn’t going to stop her. Mone can’t beat her at any percent and tomorrow night, she’ll prove she’s the better woman. Fired up promo from Nightingale here.

Trent Beretta promises to show the world what he has known for a long time. Rocky Romero comes in to say that no matter what happens tomorrow night, he hopes they can put this behind them. Trent says that is not happening and never interrupt him again.

House Of Black vs. Gates Of Agony vs. Infantry vs. Acclaimed

Caster and Bravo trade rollups to start and it’s off to Bowens vs. Matthews, with the latter tagging himself in. Kaun comes in to face Matthews instead but it’s quickly off to Toa vs. King, with the big clotheslines staggering both of them. Everything breaks down and King hits a big suicide dive and we take a break.

Back with Murphy chinlocking Caster but the Infantry breaks it up. A bunch of superkicks send Matthews into the corner for the tag to King but Toa comes in to wreck people as well. Everything breaks down and Toa Samoan Drops King for two. The Infantry hit stereo dives to the floor but Matthews saves King from Boot Camp back inside. A Cannonball/running boot combination hits Bravo to give King the pin at 10:30.

Rating: B-. This felt like the main event of a Ring Of Honor show and that’s not the worst thing. I’m not sure how much this is going to make a difference for any of the teams going forward, but the team with the most going on getting the win is the right way to go. They kept things going here and it wasn’t boring so there are worse ways to use time on this show.

Adam Copeland knew that Malakai Black was going to come after him because he lives in the shadows Copeland cast. Black wanted this version of Copeland, but imagine the kind of force he and Black could be. Imagine if he beats Black and the House joins him. When you see the evil in a man’s eyes, it’s already too late.

Toni Storm, still in agony after Serena Deeb’s attack, says she’ll make Deeb’s seizures feel like a walk in the park.

Leyla Hirsch vs. Mariah May

May chops away to start but Hirsch backs her up. That earns Hirsch a chest to the face (Nigel: “I wish I was wrestling again.”) and a dropkick as we take a break. Back with Hirsch missing a moonsault but blocking a running shot in the corner. Hirsch grabs a German suplex for two but May is back with a headbutt into a running knee for the pin at 7:14.

Rating: C+. As is the case with most of the women’s matches in this slot on any show, so much of the match was in the commercial that there wasn’t time to do much. May gets a win to keep her going towards…whatever the story is with her and Toni Storm and company. Hirsch continues to feel like someone who could go somewhere, but that isn’t likely to happen anytime soon.

Serena Deeb is ready for Deeb Or Nothing and she’s ready to stretch Toni Storm.

Video on Christian Cage vs. Swerve Strickland.

FTR/Bryan Danielson vs. Satnam Singh/Jeff Jarrett/Jay Lethal

Sonjay Dutt and Karen Jarrett are here with the villains. Danielson and Jarrett start things off and Jarrett gets in an early strut. Lethal comes in instead and gets kneed in the ribs. It’s off to Harwood to take over on Lethal, with Wheeler getting to send him into the corner. Singh grabs Wheeler by the throat though and drops him throat first across the top as we take a break.

Back with Harwood small packaging Lethal for two but getting caught in the Lethal Combination. Singh comes in for some chokeslams from his knee, with Wheeler’s middle rope ax handle breaking it up. It’s back to Danielson to hammer away on Jarrett in the corner but Lethal breaks up the LeBell Lock.

Danielson and Wheeler hit stereo dives before Singh accidentally posts himself. Everyone gets together to kick away at Singh, with a bunch of knees putting him down. Lethal is back in for a double Lethal Injection but the referee catches Karen sending in the guitar. Instead it’s a chair coming in but Jeff chairs Singh by mistake. The running knee finishes Jeff at 10:30.

Rating: B-. This was a nice warmup for Team AEW before their match tomorrow, with commentary playing up the idea that the Young Bucks had paid off the villains to soften the heroes up. It’s a simple story but they did it well, which shouldn’t surprise you given who was out there. Jarrett and company might not be a top level stable, but they’re fine for short term villains to be taken down after giving the good guy a sweat.

Post match Wheeler says FTR debuted here four years ago and now he will live, breathe, fight and die for this company. Everyone is better off because of AEW and they are banged up but they are going to fight for AEW tomorrow night. Harwood says they are fighting for everyone who watches at home and if they die tomorrow, they’ll go out as your heroes. AEW certainly loves these rah rah speeches lately and this was another one of them.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked this well enough and now I need to see them do their thing tomorrow with the big show. They did enough to build up some things for Sunday, with a stipulation being added to the trios match and some stories being slightly advanced. Double Or Nothing needs to be a solid hit and this helped set the stage for it, which is about as good as you could expect with what they had to offer tonight.

Results
Hiroshi Tanahashi/Claudio Castagnoli/Daniel Garcia b. The Righteous/Lance Archer – High Fly Flow to Archer
Lucha Bros b. The Gunns – Spike Fear Factor to Colten
Kyle O’Reilly b. KM – Cross armbreaker
House Of Black b. Gates Of Agony, Infantry and Acclaimed – Cannonball/running boot combination to Bravo
Mariah May b. Leyla Hirsch – Running knee
Bryan Danielson/FTR b. Jeff Jarrett/Jay Lethal/Satnam Singh – Running knee to Jarrett

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: May 22, 2024
Location: Mechanics Bank Arena, Bakersfield, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re less than four days away from Double Or Nothing and that means it is time for one of the final pushes to the show. There is a good chance that we’ll be seeing some more matches added to the card. Other than that, we are probably going to be seeing more of the Young Bucks because of course. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence, including clips from Furiosa as part of a crossover event.

Orange Cassidy/Will Ospreay vs. Roderick Strong/Trent Beretta

Don Callis is on commentary and suggests that Cassidy is now one of “his guys”. Cassidy and Beretta slug it out on the floor to start before Cassidy comes back in for a high crossbody on Strong. The Kingdom distracts Ospreay so Trent can get in a cheap shot and take over. Ospreay knocks Strong away and brings Cassidy in to clean house but Beretta crotches him on top. A gutbuster onto the top drops Ospreay again and all four brawl to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Cassidy…seemingly trying to nip up but crawling over for the tag to Ospreay instead. Strong cuts Ospreay off with a half and half suplex and then hits a spinning faceplant for two. Ospreay is back with a poisonrana and Cassidy falls off the top (on purpose) for two more on Strong.

Cassidy’s top rope DDT plants Beretta and another DDT drops Strong for two. Strong is back up and tries End Of Heartache but Callis grabs Cassidy’s foot, allowing him to grab Stundog Millionaire. The Kingdom’s interference fails but here is Wardlow to deck Ospreay from behind. Strong grabs End Of Heartache to pin Cassidy at 12:56.

Rating: B. Rather hot opener here with Strong getting the win that he needs to boost himself up before what is likely a loss to Ospreay on Sunday. Even with the Undisputed Kingdom around him, it’s hard to imagine him leaving with the title without some kind of screwy finish. The Callis/Cassidy stuff…yeah I’m not feeling it, but odds are it continues on Sunday.

Post match Beretta chokes Cassidy out and Strong busts Ospreay open with the International Title.

The Young Bucks have security bar Darby Allin from the building because they want the safest locker room in wrestling. Sonjay Dutt comes in to suggest that he get paid extra if Satnam Singh takes out Bryan Danielson.

Here is Bullet Club Gold for a chat (and yes the wagon for all of their belts is funny). Jay White doesn’t think much of Pac (he’s not sure how to pronounce it) because Pac has been messing with things that don’t concern him. Pac pops up on screen and brings back the Lucha Bros to reform the Death Triangle. Cue Death Triangle to clear the ring and Pac issues the title challenge for Double Or Nothing.

Bryan Keith vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hook

For a shot at Chris Jericho’s FTW Title on Sunday with Jericho on commentary. Shibata and Hook both go after Keith in the corner to start before trading suplexes. Keith gets in one of his own and we take an early break. Back with Shibata hitting running boots in the corner until Hook gets Redrum on Keith. Shibata breaks that up and gets the Figure Four on Keith….but Hook adds Redrum on Keith for the double submission at 6:31.

Rating: C. Ok so it’s going to be a triple threat at the pay per view, making me wonder why Keith, or the qualifying matches, needed to take place at all. At least they didn’t make it go long so Jericho didn’t get to talk that much. Hook being featured is a good thing, though I’m almost scared of how long he’ll have to wait before getting a big win.

Post match Jericho grabs the mic and says he’s here to get more camera time. He’s proud of Hook and Shibata for everything they’ve learned and yes the three way is official. That’s from Tony Khan, making me wonder why he’s allowing the Bucks to do anything at all.

We look at the first Mercedes Mone vs. Willow Nightingale match from last year for New Japan, when Mone was injured. This has set up their rematch at Double Or Nothing.

Video on Konosuke Takeshita.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Matt Sydal

Takeshita jumps him to start and hits a hard brainbuster before stopping to sneer. Sydal manages a quick hurricanrana and a dropkick but walks into the Blue Thunder Bomb. One heck of a right hand knocks Sydal silly for the pin at 2:00. Ok that was WAY more effective than I was expecting. Nice work.

Post match Takeshita keeps up the beating until Jon Moxley hits the ring…to talk. Or hit Takeshita with the microphone. Back to back nice surprises.

The Young Bucks find Swerve Strickland sitting at their seat and says hit his music because he’s up next.

Swerve Strickland vs. Nick Wayne

Non-title and Wayne is alone for once. Wayne runs away to start but Swerve catches him for a whipping with a belt. Swerve picks him up but gets tornado DDTed on the floor as we take a break. Back with Swerve belly to back superplexing him onto the apron and hitting the Swerve Stomp onto the floor. They get back inside and Wayne rolls him up for two with feet on the ropes, as the band-aid over Swerve’s eye is falling off. Swerve isn’t having that and hits the House Call for the pin at 8:57.

Rating: C+. The ending was just about perfect as Swerve turned it on and beat Wayne like the lower level star that Wayne is. Swerve shouldn’t be having trouble beating Wayne and as soon as it started getting difficult, he finished things off out of nowhere. It was a well put together match as it went the way it should have and that’s nice to see.

Post match Killswitch comes in to beat down Swerve as Christian Cage comes in. Swerve takes out Luchasaurus and Cage sprints off, steals a car and bails…but gets cut off by Prince Nana in another car. Swerve shows up and gives Cage a beatdown so good that I’ll forget to wonder how Nana knew where he should have been at the perfect time. Cage avoids a Conchairto on the hood of the car.

Malakai Black vs. Kyle O’Reilly

They trade strikes to start (shocking indeed) until Black grabs a headlock. O’Reilly kicks the leg out on a springboard attempt and sweeps the leg for a bonus. Black kicks him out to the floor though and we take an early break. Back with O’Reilly’s rebound lariat being cut off by an elbow to the face.

O’Reilly snaps off a German suplex for two and the hard kicks keep Black in trouble. The ankle lock goes on but O’Reilly legs go for no apparent reason, allowing Black to hit a brainbuster for two. Back up and Black head fakes him, setting up The End for the knock out and the pin at 10:21.

Rating: B-. This was mainly about the striking and it worked pretty well, with Black looking like more of a killer on the way to the pay per view. The End is one of those moves that is going to knock anyone cold and that makes Black dangerous. I’m not feeling the Black vs. Copeland feud, but it’s nice to see Black getting built up again.

Post match the lights go out and Black gets a Bloodbath. Adam Copeland pops up to say see you soon.

We look at Bryan Danielson’s history in Anarchy In The Arena and what he is willing to do to fight for AEW.

Double Or Nothing rundown.

We look at Toni Storm stealing Serena Deeb’s flag and using it as a towel on Saturday.

Toni Storm/Mariah May vs. Outcasts

Zak Knight is here with the Outcasts. Cameron gets sent to the apron to start but manages a shoulder to May’s ribs. May takes her down back inside and it’s off to Saraya, with the fans seemingly approving. Storm comes in for the slugout and a Thesz press into the right hands has Saraya in trouble. Storm slams May onto Saraya for two and we pause for the referee to check on Saraya. As you might expect, this lets Cameron come in for a cheap shot so the villains can take over as we take a break.

Back with Storm getting the tag to clean house, including a headbutt to rock Cameron. A chokebomb hits Cameron as everything breaks down. Storm and May pause for a hug but get caught with stereo sunset bombs. Back up and Storm and May kiss the Outcasts, setting up Storm Zero and May Day. Another Storm Zero to Cameron finishes at 9:12.

Rating: C. The Storm/May/Deeb/Cameron/anyone else they’re bringing into things is so all over the place and I think that’s what they’re trying to do with it. If the story has so many moving parts, maybe it doesn’t need to make that much sense. The fans are reacting to the people in it and that might be enough for whatever it is they’re doing.

Storm teases disrobing behind Serena Deeb’s flag again but Deeb runs in with a chair shot. And a shoe shot, which sets up a half crab in a chair to make Storm tap.

Bullet Club Gold wants Death Triangle at Double Or Nothing. That’s already set so I guess they’re just happy about it?

Bryan Danielson vs. Satnam Singh

Jeff Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal are here with Singh. Danielson kicks away in the corner to start and is quickly swatted away. A delayed suplex drops Danielson and they head outside. Danielson is sent into the steps as Dutt loads up the announcers’ table….which collapses on its own.

Danielson comes back with the strikes, including a hard shot against the barricade. A Jarrett distraction lets Singh chokeslam him onto the apron for two as the beating is on. Dutt pulls the turnbuckle pad off but Danielson gets in a low blow and strikes away. Singh chops him from his knees but Danielson strikes him down again. The LeBell Lock goes on, with the other villains coming in for the DQ at 4:52.

Rating: C+. This was a good example of “well, what else were they supposed to do?”. Singh did his basic giant stuff, but it was more about giving Danielson an obstacle to overcome. The whole point was about the Elite getting Danielson in trouble and that went well, especially the beatdown. Good storytelling for a mediocre match.

Post match Danielson fights back and gets the guitar but Singh punches it to pieces. Cue the Young Bucks with an envelope (to pay off Dutt and company) but the EVP Trigger only sees their knees collide. Kazuchika Okada comes out for a distraction, allowing Jack Perry to jump Danielson from behind. Danielson is taken up the ramp as Darby Allin arrives in a car, driven by Tony Khan.

Allin comes into the ring and scares the Elite off with a flamethrower (yes a flamethrower) as Nick is sent through a table to end the show. Khan already being back makes me wonder if they’re going to just blow off the Bucks’ story on Sunday. It’s probably false hope, but it’s better than nothing.

Overall Rating: B-. This was an odd show, as it certainly had good parts and things that kept me interested, but it didn’t do much about making me want to see Double Or Nothing. The pay per view should be good, though nothing on it has me begging to see what they’re going to do. This show, while certainly not bad, didn’t make me want to see the pay per view that much more and that’s not a great sign heading into Sunday.

Results
Roderick Strong/Trent Beretta b. Will Ospreay/Orange Cassidy – End Of Heartache to Cassidy
Hook and Katsuyori Shibata b. Bryan Keith – Double submission
Konosuke Takeshita b. Matt Sydal – Right hand
Swerve Strickland b. Nick Wayne – House Call
Malakai Black b. Kyle O’Reilly – The End
Toni Storm/Mariah May b. Outcasts – Storm Zero to Cameron
Bryan Danielson b. Satnam Singh when Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Collision
Date: May 18, 2024
Location: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

It’s another three hour block on Saturday night, starting with this one. The show is likely going to feature some buildup for Dynamite, though hopefully it also includes some effort to get ready for Double Or Nothing next Sunday. The show could use some extra buildup and it would be nice to see some of it here. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Will Ospreay vs. Shane Taylor

Anthony Ogogo is here with Ospreay and the Undisputed Kingdom comes out to watch at ringside. Ospreay dropkicks him to the floor to start and takes Taylor down with a dive, followed by a springboard back inside. Taylor hits a hard shoulder to put Ospreay down so Matt Taven goes after Ospreay, meaning Taylor gets to yell a bit. Ospreay manages to post Taylor and send him into Taven. Ogogo uses the distraction to get in a cheap shot on Ospreay as we take a break.

Back with Ospreay hitting a handspring kick to the head to stagger Taylor, setting up a top rope shot to the back of said head. The Hidden Blade is blocked and Taylor’s running splash gets two. One heck of a clothesline gives Taylor the same and he blocks the Oscutter, setting up a Marcus Garvey Driver for two more. The package piledriver is blocked so Taylor goes up, only to get caught with the Cheeky Nandos Kick. The Storm Driver out of the corner gives Ospreay the pin at 9:53.

Rating: B-. Ospreay is put in trouble and fights back to win over the monster in the end. That’s a perfectly fine way to go and gives Ospreay a nice victory on the way to his title shot. The problem continues to be that the International Title feels way beneath Ospreay and the more he’s built up, the bigger that problem becomes. Unless they have some kind of genius way out, Ospreay almost has to win the title, and he’s being built up well if he’s going to become the new champion.

Post match the Undisputed Kingdom goes after Ospreay, who takes them out like he’s a big star and they’re a bunch of goons.

Team AEW is happy with Darby Allin joining the team with Eddie Kingston out injured. Tonight, they’re ready for Lance Archer and the Righteous.

Jon Moxley is ready to face Konosuke Takeshita at Double Or Nothing. The BCC fights for violence, with Claudio Castagnoli saying he hates talking because it should be about going out there to fight.

Chris Jericho and Big Bill aren’t happy with Hook for attacking them, but Jericho likes Hook showing that kind of fire. That’s why Jericho is here, because Hook needs someone to teach him.

Hook vs. Johnny TV

This is a qualifying match for a triple threat match for a future FTW Title shot and Taya Valkyrie is here with TV. Hook takes him down to start and goes for the arm but TV’s rollup gets two. A suplex and clothesline put TV down and Hook counters a high kick into another suplex. Taya’s distraction lets TV hit the Flying Chuck but Starship Pain misses, allowing Hook to grab Redrum for the tap at 3:27.

Rating: C. They didn’t have time to do much here but I like Hook getting to do something other than the hardcore matches. He’s only going to get so much out of those, so putting him in here with a veteran, even in a short match, is going to let him learn a bit more. Now just let him beat Jericho into the ground (again) and he might be able to move on to something a bit better.

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Rocky Romero

Another FTW qualifying match. They go technical to start with Shibata grabbing the arm before switching into a Figure Four. That’s broken up so Romero grabs an Octopus, which is reversed into another Figure Four. Romero is out again and grabs a tornado DDT as we take a break.

Back with Romero kicking at the arm, with Shibata telling him to keep it up. Shibata chops away but Romero ties him in the ropes for a middle rope dropkick. Sliced Bread doesn’t work for Romero, who comes up favoring his leg, meaning Shibata can grab a kneebar. Romero makes the rope so Shibata suplexes him for two more. With that broken up, Shibata goes back to the Figure Four for the win at 10:01.

Rating: B-. Perfectly acceptable, if not good, wrestling here with Shibata picking apart a limb and then working it over until Romero gave up. That helps to make up for the lack of drama, as Romero winning wouldn’t have made much sense. Romero might not be the most interesting star, but he’s a rather strong hand in the ring, which is a very valuable thing to have.

Bryan Keith vs. Beefcake Boulder

This is the final FTW qualifying match, making me wonder how the participants were chosen. Boulder has Bronson and Jacked Jameson with him, the latter of whom talks about how much trash he has seen in this city. Keith gets knocked into the corner to start but slips out of a slam and kicks away at the leg. Jameson offers a distraction but Keith uses it to send Bronson into Boulder’s hairy chest. Diamond Dust finishes Bronson at 1:43. Well that was fast.

Pac doesn’t care about what Bullet Club Gold has been saying to them. He wants them to make him feel something and care. The interviewer can leave him alone too.

We look back at Mercedes Mone and Willow Nightingale signing a contract on Dynamite.

Bullet Club Gold appears for a match but they have attacked Pac and carried him out to the stage. Much like in the previous match: well that was fast.

Christian Cage tells Nick Wayne that he has a warmup match tonight before he faces Swerve Strickland on Dynamite. Wayne thanks Cage for turning him into a man.

Orange Cassidy vs. Isiah Kassidy

We’ll go with first names to make things a bit more simple. Orange flips around to start and they go to the mat, with Orange grabbing a quickly broken surfboard. Isiah avoids the Orange Punch so Orange hits a suicide dive as Don Callis is watching in the back. There’s the running dropkick against the barricade…and here is Trent Beretta in the crowd. The distraction lets Isiah get in a whip to the barricade, setting up a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.

We take a break and come back with Orange countering a piledriver attempt on the steps. They get back in where Stundog Millionaire and the spinning DDT plant Isiah. Both of them head to the apron where Orange kicks him out to the floor. Another Beretta distraction lets Isiah get in a cheap shot, allowing him to use the referee for the Silly String. Orange pops up and hits the Beach Break for the pin at 12:12.

Rating: C+. They’re piling up the nice matches without much in the way of drama over the winner. Orange vs. Beretta is continuing, likely in some big showdown at Double Or Nothing, which should be where Orange gets his big win to win the feud for good. Another pretty good match here, as it helps move towards something important down the line.

Post break Beretta says he’s better than Cassidy, who had to cheat to beat him. The challenge is on for Double Or Nothing, with Cassidy pulling him over the barricade.

Serena Deeb vs. Anna Jay

Deeb starts fast and elbows away, setting up a swinging neckbreaker for two. Jay gets tied up in a Paradise Lock for the running dropkick. Back up and Jay snaps off a northern lights suplex, only to get neckbreakered over the middle rope. We take a break and come back with Jay fighting out of an abdominal stretch and grabbing a Downward Spiral for two. Deeb ties her in the ropes for a dragon screw legwhip, followed by a hammerlock lariat for two of her own. The Queenslayer goes on out of nowhere and Deeb has to flip out. A faceplant into the Serenity Lock makes Jay tap at 8:34.

Rating: C. Much like the Shibata match earlier, Deeb picked Jay apart and made her give up in the end. That’s a perfectly fine way to go, but my goodness it would be nice to have Jay either be some up and coming star or cannon fodder for the biggest stories. This is what she’s been doing for a long time now and she’s not getting anywhere new as a result.

Post match Luther comes out and steals Deeb’s flag. Mariah May comes out to hold the flag up so Toni Storm can come to the stage and disrobe behind it. The flag is wrapped around Storm and the villains leave.

Video on Swerve Strickland vs. Christian Cage.

Nick Wayne vs. Jack Cartwheel

Wayne jumps him to start and stomps away but Cartwheel fights back up. Cartwheel sends him outside, where Wayne pulls a Samoa Joe by sidestepping the big dive. Back in and Wayne’s World connects….for no cover. Instead it’s a Swerve Strickland House Call for the pin on Cartwheel at 2:19.

FTR/Bryan Danielson vs. Righteous/Lance Archer

Harwood and Vincent fight over a lockup to start, with the latter whipping him hard into the corner. That’s broken up and Harwood snaps off a suplex before a double slam gives Wheeler two. It’s off to Dutch so Wheeler snaps off some jabs, allowing Harwood to come back in for a Russian legsweep. The fans want Danielson as everything breaks down and we take a break.

Back with Harwood fighting out of a chinlock but Vincent drops him again. Harwood sends Archer into the corner and avoids Dutch’s elbow drop, allowing the tag back to Danielson to start cleaning house. Dutch gets low bridged to the floor and the suicide dive connects. Everything breaks down and Archer has to save Dutch from the LeBell Lock. Autumn Sunshine gets two, with Wheeler having to make the save. Vincent gets PowerPlexed but Danielson has to break up the Blackout. That leaves Vincent to walk into the Shatter Machine for the pin at 12:52.

Rating: B. This was the best match on the show and that shouldn’t be a big surprise given the talent involved. Danielson can make anything work and FTR is still probably the best team in the company. The villains did their job well enough before ultimately falling to the better team. Commentary kept talking about how Archer and the Righteous were doing this at the Elite’s bidding so at least it ties into the bigger story.

Post match the villains beat Danielson and FTR down, including a bunch of chair shots to Harwood’s ribs. Wheeler gets Blacked Out onto a chair but Daniel Garcia comes out with a chair of his own for the save.

Overall Rating: B. Collision is such a weird show. The wrestling ranges from fine to good, but two hours of little more than setting up things for Dynamite and supplements to the midcard feuds makes for a long, long sit. Throw in Rampage after and it’s even more tedious. That makes it all the more frustrating as this is by no means a bad show and I enjoy it more than Dynamite most of the time. You just have to remember that very rarely is anything big going to happen and it’s much more about setting things up for Dynamite, where everything happens. That makes for a rather good, yet at times tedious, two hours.

Results
Will Ospreay b. Shane Taylor – Storm Driver
Hook b. Johnny TV – Redrum
Katsuyori Shibata b. Rocky Romero – Figure Four
Bryan Keith b. Beefcake Boulder – Diamond Dust
Orange Cassidy b. Isiah Kassidy – Beach Break
Nick Wayne b. Jack Cartwheel – House Call
Bryan Danielson/FTR b. Righteous/Lance Archer – Shatter Machine to Vincent

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Rampage
Date: May 11, 2024
Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Matt Menard

We’re still doing the back to back Collision/Rampage Saturday nights and again, Rampage has a hard act to follow. This show has a tendency to not be the most important offering from AEW but the matches themselves can more than make up for it. Hopefully they do that again here, though you never can tell what to expect with this show, regardless of time slot. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

We open with Adam Copeland and Kyle O’Reilly hugging after their Collision match. Copeland won’t let go of O’Reilly’s wrist though and O’Reilly has to force his way out before Copeland walks off. Please tell me this is just him getting burned out with all of the title matches and not Malakai Black controlling him or whatever.

Claudio Castagnoli is asked about leaving the ring while Bryan Danielson talked after their tag win earlier tonight. Castagnoli is scared of Danielson being in Anarchy In The Arena again and wants nothing to do with it at all.

Trent Beretta vs. Dalton Castle

The Boys are here with Castle, who backs him into the ropes for an early break. Castle wrestles him to the mat before hitting an elbow to the face to send Beretta outside. A running knee to the face sends Beretta to the floor, only to have him come back with a headbutt. Beretta hits a hanging DDT onto the apron and we take a break.

Back with Castle rolling through a super hurricanrana into a sunset flip for two, followed by a double clothesline. The Bang A Rang is loaded up but Beretta reverses into a piledriver for two more. Castle blocks a tornado DDT and powers him up into a release German suplex. Beretta is right back up with a running knee into the gogoplata to finish Castle at 9:38.

Rating: C+. This was Beretta getting some momentum back after losing to Orange Cassidy on Dynamite before their likely violent rematch at Double Or Nothing. As for Castle…I have no idea why he isn’t getting a better spot than he’s in here, but this is about all he’s going to be doing. At least put him in a prominent position on Ring Of Honor instead of the nothing he’s been doing in recent weeks.

Deonna Purrazzo thinks Thunder Rosa is dodging her but she has been told to keep her front towards her enemy.

Video on Rush, who wants to kick people in the face.

Bryan Keith vs. JD Drake

Keith can’t slam him to start but a shot to the face puts Drake on the floor instead. Back in and Drake hits a running boot to the face for two and Keith is a bit rocked. A running shoulder connects for Keith though and he manages the slam. Diamond Dust gives Keith the win at 2:45.

Adam Copeland is standing behind a piece of a cage with barbed wire around. He wants the full version with Malakai Black at Double Or Nothing. Well that escalated quickly.

Deonna Purrazzo vs. Lady Frost

Purrazzo grabs a headlock takeover to start before shouldering Frost down. Frost nips up and is almost immediately dropped again. An anklescissors out of the corner sends Purrazzo outside, where she knocks Frost down again as we take a break. Back with an exchange of kicks to the head leaving both of them down.

Frost sends her into the corner for a flipping Cannonball but Purrazzo Russian legsweeps her into the Fujiwara armbar. The rope is grabbed so Frost goes up for a corkscrew crossbody and a near fall. Frost heads to the top again but gets tied in the Tree of Woe for spear (as used by her husband Steve Maclin) for the pin at 8:13.

Rating: C+. This was a good way to boost Purrazzo back up before what seems to be a heated feud with Thunder Rosa. That being said, Purrazzo needs to win a match that matters as she has been portrayed as someone who tends to choke under pressure. Maybe she beats Rosa in their big showdown, but that’s far from a guarantee.

Post match Thunder Rosa runs in with a chair but Purrazzo skedaddles.

We get a new music video from the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn, mainly proclaiming their awesomeness.

Scorpio Sky talks about recovering from an injury and with him, the sky is the limit.

Pac vs. Johnny TV

Johnny has Taya Valkyrie with him. Hold on though as Johnny has to disgrace a Vancouver Canucks jersey to start, earning a beating from Pac in the corner. Pac’s missile dropkick sends Johnny to the floor and there’s a springboard moonsault. Taya offers a distraction though and Johnny fires off some strikes in the corner as we take a break.

Back with Johnny going outside to kiss Taya, allowing Pac to strike away as well. Johnny’s flipping neckbreaker gets two more, only to miss Starship Pain. Commentary ignores the match to run down the Dynamite card but stop to notice Taya’s distraction breaking up the Black Arrow. Pac sends Johnny into her and grabs the Brutalizer for the win at 9:43.

Rating: B-. Much like Dalton Castle, TV is someone who could be doing at least a bit more but he is mainly going to be used to make others look good. That was the case here, as Pac needed a win to help rebuild himself after the Dynasty loss. Pac looked like a killer again here and that is likely to be the case with whatever he does next.

Post match the Bullet Club Gold pops up on screen to tell Pac to mind his own business to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. And that is Rampage in a nutshell: the wrestling is decent at worst, but the biggest story is Adam Copeland challenging Malakai Black and demanding an answer on Dynamite. The rest of the show ranged from mid to lower midcard stories and while it wasn’t bad, the show could not feel much less important. It’s the definition of a supplement, and when Dynamite is so crammed full, it makes me wonder why they can’t put at least a little more of importance on this show. The usual fine but not required viewing this week.

Results
Trent Beretta b. Dalton Castle – Gogoplata
Bryan Keith b. JD Drake – Diamond Dust
Deonna Purrazzo b. Lady Frost – Spear in the Tree of Woe
Pac b. Johnny TV – Brutalizer

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Dynamite
Date: May 8, 2024
Location: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We’re still in Canada with less than three weeks to go before Double Or Nothing. Much like last week, Kenny Omega is here for a special announcement about…well whatever he’s announcing. Other than that, we have the showdown between Trent Beretta and Orange Cassidy so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Adam Copeland is worried about the House Of Black so tonight, he’s facing Brody King in a No DQ -TNT Title match.

Orange Cassidy vs. Trent Beretta

Cassidy starts fast and knocks him outside to start, with the suicide elbow dropping Beretta again. Beretta manages a posting and hammers away but Cassidy goes into the crowd and puts his hands in his pockets before continuing the beating. The running Orange Punch is backdropped over the barricade and they get back to ringside. Cassidy gets kneed in the face but comes right back with the Orange Punch for the double knockdown. Cue Don Callis to ringside and we take a break.

Back with Callis on commentary as Cassidy fires off forearms. Stundog Millionaire is countered so Cassidy grabs the tornado DDT instead. Beretta manages a half and half suplex and they’re both down again. Back up and Beretta drops him with a piledriver, followed by another piledriver and a running knee. The turnbuckle is ripped off but Cassidy rips off one of his own. Beretta is sent face first and the rollup gives Cassidy the pin at 13:09.

Rating: B-. Good fight between the two of them (ignore the complete lack of a count for such a long stretch of brawling) and the ending should leave the door open for a rematch at Double Or Nothing. I’m not sure if I would have had them do a full match like this one if they’re supposed to do it again in a few weeks but at least what we got was pretty nice. That being said, Beretta losing so soon isn’t exactly the wisest move.

Post match Beretta jumps him again and hits a piledriver onto the steps. Cassidy gets sent into various things so Beretta grabs a toolbox. Cassidy has a chair but Callis breaks it up before anything else happens. That would be Cassidy on his feet about a minute and a half after a piledriver on the steps.

Earlier today, the Elite was in their car and took Tony Khan’s parking spot.

We look back at Kenny Omega returning and being attacked by the Elite.

Jack Perry thinks Omega isn’t as tough as he thinks he is because Omega was a coward when the Elite needed him. Now they are going to change the world without him.

Omega joins us from the emergency room and says May 26 is when this all started. He issues the challenge for Anarchy In The Arena with the Elite vs. FTR/….two people we’ll find out tonight.

Here is Serena Deeb for a chat. She’s happy to be here and excited to face Toni Storm at Double Or Nothing. She has been out of action for a long time but we pause for a LET’S GO OILERS chant. Last year she suffered three seizures and talks about how serious they are but here is Toni Storm to say this sounds like a charity case. Deeb tells her to be serious because Deeb will be fighting to win the title at Double Or Nothing. Storm doesn’t care and the fight is on, with security breaking it up.

Rocky Romero checks on Orange Cassidy, saying that if he beats Jay White tonight, the two of them and a third partner get a Trios Title shot. Maybe it could be Trent Beretta. Cassidy isn’t convinced.

Harley Cameron vs. Mariah May

Saraya is here with Cameron, who kicks May own to start and talks a lot. May fights up and hits a quick basement dropkick to send Cameron to the apron. That earns May a neck snap over the top and a kick to the back as we take a break. Back with Saraya yelling at fans and May winning a slugout. A chokebomb gives May two and a heck of a headbutt puts Cameron down. It’s too early for May’s hip attack as Saraya pulls Cameron to the floor, earning herself a hard shot from May. Back in and May Day finishes Cameron at 9:02.

Rating: C. Well that’s a match that happened. I’m not sure why May needed nine minutes to beat Cameron, who hasn’t wrestled in over a year, but that’s what we got. May continues to be in a weird place as she doesn’t really have anything going on, though it seems like she might be up for something with Forbidden Door. Either that or get to the point with her and Toni Storm already.

Post match the beating is on but Mina Shirakawa makes the save and toasts the champagne with May.

Bullet Club Gold cuts off Pac (who was talking about bringing back Death Triangle), with Jay White saying he should go after Kazuchika Okada, who he beat before.

Malakai Black talks about having to destroy Adam Copeland so he can live again.

We get a very positive Young Bucks video.

The Bucks praise the video and say they don’t want more Kenny Omega updates.

Here is Swerve Strickland to say he is in a really bad mood. We look at the Patriarchy taking Swerve out last week, with Luchasaurus ripping out part of Swerve’s hair. Swerve can’t say he wouldn’t do the same thing, but he is the Conor McDavid (local hockey hero) of AEW. He wants the Patriarchy out here right now so here they are, with Christian Cage saying he is going to take something from Swerve every single week.

That leads to Double Or Nothing, when the wave Swerve has been riding will come crashing down. Violence is teased but Swerve says he wasn’t coming alone. Cue the Mogul Embassy so Swerve makes Drake/Kendrick Lamar references. Then the Embassy turns on him, apparently sick of hearing people talk about those two because nothing else is happening in the world whatsoever. Swerve is put through the announcers’ table. That was a good close to a loophole, but hopefully Swerve beats Brian cage next week to get his revenge and then moves on.

The Patriarchy goes to the back and runs into the Young Bucks, who seem to have had something to do with that. More business together is teased.

We look at Willow Nightingale beating Skye Blue in a street fight on Rampage.

Willow Nightingale says no one can beat the smile off her face. As for Mercedes Mone, she better be ready at Double Or Nothing, because Willow is always ready. Mone is in for the fight of her life.

Rocky Romero vs. Jay White

Romero starts fast and knocks him outside, followed by some of the Forever Clotheslines in the corner. White gets in a hard clothesline of his own though and we take a break. Back with Romero fighting out of a chinlock and taking it to the floor to hammer away. Back in and Romero hits a jumping knee, followed by a backslide for two. White knocks him out of the air though and grabs the Bladerunner for the pin (with one finger) at 8:04.

Rating: C+. Why am I supposed to care about Rocky Romero? He’s perfectly fine in the ring but you know what you’re going to get from him and he isn’t going to win any big matches. Other than his ties to New Japan, what about him warrants having him around so often? It just seems like there are a lot of people who could benefit from getting as much time as he does but instead it’s more of hearing about how great he is when he never wins anything.

Post match the beatdown is on until Pac makes the save.

Samoa Joe training video.

Big Bill/Chris Jericho vs. Mo Jabari/Harlon Abbott

Jericho knocks Jabari down to start and hands it off to Bill, who slowly pounds away. The chokeslam plants Abbott and Jericho gets the pin at 2:27.

Post match Jericho praises Bill and talks about facing Katsuyori Shibata and Hook. He’s not sure where Hook is, but get well soon!

TNT Title: Brody King vs. Adam Copeland

Copeland is defending and this is No DQ. A headlock has Copeland in some trouble to start but he has to escape an early Ganso Bomb attempt. King is sent to the apron where he gets a boot up to stop a charge. A neckbreaker over the ropes drops Copeland and we take a break.

Back with King missing a running crossbody and crashing into the barricade. Copeland chairs him in the back a few times and they go up to the apron. A DDT onto the chair onto the apron plants King, who comes up busted open. Copeland hammers away for two more so it’s time to grab another chair (just in case there wasn’t enough blood already, as King is gushing). It’s time to break the bar off of a chair, with the delay allowing King to hit a heck of a clothesline. Copeland is sent face first into a chair in the corner and we take a break.

Back with an exchange of shots tot he face leaving both of them down again. King sends him into the corner for the Cannonball but Copeland is back with the Edge-O-Matic for two. They go to the apron where Copeland manages a Death Valley Driver, followed by the spear through the ropes to send King through a table in a nasty crash. Back in and another spear retains the title at 18:26.

Rating: B. There was A LOT of blood in this match and there is a good chance that will go a long way in determining how much you liked this. It certainly felt intense at times, but it also felt long, with the Malakai Black promo earlier all but guaranteeing that he’s the next big challenger, likely at the pay per view. Copeland’s matches are mostly good, but they’re lacking that something to get them to the next level, which makes giving him this much time a bit weird.

Post match King jumps Copeland but Kyle O’Reilly makes the save.

Mercedes Mone is ready for Double Or Nothing. Yes she’s ready because Willow Nightingale took a year from her career. Now it’s time to get the title because she is that b****. This was every Mone promo: She’s a star, she’s been hurt for a year, did I mention she’s a star?

Adam Copeland thanks Kyle O’Reilly for the help and O’Reilly challenges him for the Cope Open on Collision. Copeland is in.

Here is the Elite (three minutes after the show was scheduled to end) for a chat. Kazuchika Okada tells Kenny Omega to get well soon. Matt Jackson says Tony Khan is the best boss he has ever had but they had to get him out of the way. They’re in for Anarchy In The Arena, which draws out FTR. They don’t like the Young Bucks so here are Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson to complete their team. The brawl is on to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. That was a really strange way to end the show, as it wasn’t like the last thing went long and they had to wrap it up. Instead, they just started doing three more segments when the show was supposed to be ending. That is asking a lot when the middle of this show was more than a bit tedious.

The opener and main event were both good, but the matches between them felt like filler, which tends to be the case way too often in AEW. I’ve lost track of how many times it feels like they have about an hour of important stuff and then need to fill in the rest. That was the situation here, which makes me wonder just how a three hour block is going to go this Saturday.

Results
Orange Cassidy b. Trent Beretta – Rollup
Mariah May b. Harley Cameron – May Day
Jay White b. Rocky Romero – Bladerunner
Big Bill/Chris Jericho b. Harlon Abbott/Mo Jabari – Chokeslam to Abbott
Adam Copeland b. Brody King – Spear

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: May 1, 2024
Location: Canada Life Center, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re coming in off a big story last week as the Elite attacked Tony Khan and left him laying to end the show. That opens up a bunch of questions about where things are going, but right now that seems to mean more Young Bucks. Other than that we find out who is challenging Swerve Strickland at Double Or Nothing later this month. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Tony Khan joins us from Jacksonville, Florida and says he’ll be running the show remotely this week as he isn’t cleared to travel. Then the Young Bucks cut the feed and, in short, say that since Khan isn’t here and they’re still EVP’s, they’re in charge and have the contacts to prove it. Hit that new intro, now featuring all the Elite! So Tony Khan is the dumbest human in wrestling history right? He fell for Jack Perry’s nonsense last week and agreed to those contracts? But we’re supposed to cheer for him?

Here is Swerve Strickland, with Prince Nana, for a chat. Strickland talks about being around a lot lately and how that’s what this company deserves. As for the Bucks, what they did to Tony Khan was a b**** move. Now though he needs a challenger for Double Or Nothing, so who is it? Cue the Bucks on the screen to fine him for swearing (here here) and send out the new #1 contender: the returning Christian Cage.

The brawl is on without a word and a Patriarchy distraction lets Cage hit the Killswitch onto the title. Nana gets taken out as well and Cage says he hasn’t forgotten Strickland attacking Nick Wayne months ago. They were a team at All In and Swerve lost so now it’s time for some revenge. Cage is going to beat him up so badly that Swerve’s daughter doesn’t know him, but Cage will be her father. Then Luchasaurus pulls out some of Swerve’s hair. Cage getting the title shot out of nowhere is a bit weird for AEW but I was expecting Jack Perry so I’ll take this.

We recap Adam Copland vs. the House of Black, with the House getting the better of things recently and earning a TNT Title shot this week.

TNT Title: Buddy Matthews vs. Adam Copeland

Copeland is defending and shrugs off Matthews’ headlock to start. Copeland takes him down but Matthews pops back up for a staredown. Matthews is knocked outside for a big dive and we take a break. Back with Matthews catching him with a hanging DDT and they’re both down.

Matthews is back up with a kick to the back and a chinlock, with Taz being right there to explain the physics. Copeland fights out and the flapjack puts Matthews down for a change. Both of them head up on the same corner before crashing back down, meaning it’s a double dive back inside to beat the count. Back in and they hit stereo crossbodies, leaving Matthews to be checked on by medics and we take a break.

We come back again with the match continuing and Matthews getting two off a sitdown powerbomb. Matthews heads up top, where Copeland cuts him off and hits a super Impaler DDT for two more. The spear is cut off with some knees to the face and a Jackhammer gives Matthews two, followed by a quick crossface. Copeland fights up, avoids the stomp, and hits a spear to retain at 21:03.

Rating: B-. Rather long match here and it made for a good one, with Copeland feeling like he survived. Copeland can’t do everything he did before and Matthews is a better athlete in the first place, but Copeland gets to use his wits to survive. Odds are this sets up Malakai Black for the Double Or Nothing title match and that should be rather snazzy.

Post match Copeland loads up the Conchairto but the lights go out with Malakai Black appearing. Black tells Copeland to do it but Copeland won’t, allowing Black to disappear. Commentary questions if Black has pushed Copeland that far, suggesting that Copeland needs to be pushed to go violent, and also suggesting that they know very little about Copeland.

Samoa Joe vs. Isiah Kassidy

Kassidy mocks Joe’s towel pose to start and is dropped face first onto the mat to cut that off. A springboard neck snap across the top rope gives Kassidy an opening but the running dive is casually avoided, as is Joe’s custom. Back in and Kassidy tries a monkey flip for some reason, earning himself the MuscleBuster to give Joe the pin at 3:28.

Rating: C. Even in a match this short, Kassidy almost got in too much offense. I was expecting Joe to massacre him and he only beat him up rather easily. That being said, I could still watch Joe do that walk away spot every night as it is so fitting for him and makes everyone else look beneath what he is doing. Anyway, short and to the point here as it needed to be.

Skye Blue wants a TBS Title shot on Rampage.

Here is Orange Cassidy for a chat. He hates what has been going on and wanted the Best Friends to reunite after everything that has happened. Instead, he is told that Chuck Taylor will never wrestle again after what Trent Beretta did to him last weekend. Cue Beretta to say Cassidy is making it about him again, meaning security has to hold them apart. Don Callis comes out to walk Cassidy to the back. That’s quite the change.

The Young Bucks say they have had too much TV time tonight and let Jack Perry have some. Perry talks about how Tony Khan made him the scapegoat and now we are in a new era under the Elite.

FTW Title: Chris Jericho vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Jericho is defending under FTR rules. Shibata wrestles him down into a wristlock to start but Jericho elbows him down and hits a Lionsault (onto the legs) less than a minute and a half in. Taz rants about how Jericho has ruined the FTW Title as Jericho brings in an FTW trashcan lid. Jericho whips out a bag of hockey pucks (Taz: “Ok that’s creative”) but Shibata slams him onto them instead. Back up and they chop it out as we take a break.

We come back with Jericho throwing a hockey puck at him and grabbing the Walls. Shibata slips out and grabs the Figure Four so Jericho throws another puck at him for the break. Jericho puts a trashcan over Shibata’s head and beats on it with a kendo stick, only to have Shibata stand up (still in trashcan) and slowly stalk Jericho into the corner. The trashcan comes off and Shibata hands him a kendo stick so they can sit down and trade stick shots to the head.

The fight goes to Shibata so let’s get a table in here. Shibata nails him with a clothesline and moves the table from leaning in the corner to in front of the corner…and here is Big Bill to put Shibata through the table. Jericho gets the pin at 15:24 without having to do anything.

Rating: C+. This had some creative spots (the pucks were a nice touch) but this felt more like “hey what would happen if Shibata had a hardcore match”. We’re waiting for Hook to come back and win the title to avenge himself and Taz, because this is more or less the same story that we had with Ricky Starks/Jericho. Hopefully it doesn’t last much longer, as the story was only so interesting in the first place and now it’s becoming more about Jericho than anything else.

Kris Statlander apologizes to Willow Nightingale for Mercedes Mone interrupting her last week. It’s cool with Nightingale, who is ready to take out Skye Blue tonight. Stokely Hathaway goes on a rant about the Young Bucks, who send in a text to say Hathaway and Statlander are banned from ringside and Nightingale loses the title if there is any interference.

Brian Cage vs. Claudio Castagnoli

We hear from Castagnoli during his entrance, where he talks about being the best because he is so consistent. They trade clotheslines to start until Cage grabs a suplex. Castagnoli is back up with a spinning backbreaker and a double stomp but Cage catches him on top. The apron superplex connects and we take a break. Back with Cage hitting a discus lariat for two but Castagnoli runs him over as well. Castagnoli’s Swiss 1 9 sets up his own discus lariat for his own two. Swiss Death gets two more and Castagnoli Swings him into the Sharpshooter for the win at 9:53.

Rating: C+. It was two big guys hitting big guy moves until Castagnoli got the win. That worked as well as could be expected, though it felt like any match we’ve seen from Cage for years. You know what you’re getting from him and while it can be entertaining, it’s something that has been done pretty much to death.

Rocky Romero isn’t siding with anyone in the Best Friends’ drama because no one wins. He’s doing his own thing and now he wants a title shot. Romero wants Kyle O’Reilly, may the best man win.

Mariah May vs. Serena Deeb

Toni Storm and Luther are here with May. They go with the grappling to start with May getting tied up in a Paradise Lock for a dropkick. May is back up with a Stratusphere into a dropkick of her own and we take an early break. Back with Deeb neckbreakering her over the middle rope and hitting a fisherman’s neckbreaker to make it worse. A hammerlock lariat gives Deeb two but May kicks her in the head.

May’s missile dropkick sets up a hip attack and It’s Gotta Be May gets two. A rather spinning backslide gives Deeb two but May suplexes her back down. Deeb blocks another Stratusphere and grabs the half crab, even slamming May’s knee into the mat. That’s enough for Storm, who throws the towel in for the old school ending at 10:32.

Rating: C+. This was good enough as May can wrestle a good match when you ignore all of the shenanigans going on. At the same time you have Deeb, who might be as polished in the ring as anyone in the women’s division. She is long overdue to get at least a chance at this level and it will be nice to see what happens when she gets her likely Double Or Nothing title shot.

Deeb’s title shot is official for Double Or Nothing.

Adam Copeland seems a bit shaken up by the House Of Black when Kyle O’Reilly comes in to say he has Copeland’s back if he ever needs it. Copeland is appreciative of the offer, but thinks O’Reilly might have eyes for the TNT Title. As long as there isn’t lust in his eyes, he’ll be ok.

Here is Kenny Omega so Justin Roberts does his big entrance. Omega says he has never been good about talking about injuries and illness, but last year he was diagnosed with diverticulitis. He’ll leave out the gory details but he was 24 hours away from dying. Omega wanted to get fixed up quick but was told he needed surgery, which would leave him needing a colostomy bag for several months, if not the rest of his life.

Omega wanted to avoid surgery, which meant he would have a time bomb in his stomach. If he ever took a shot to the stomach again, he could wind up in the hospital having the surgery anyway. That had him thinking he might have to retire, but then he saw Dynasty and he got scared of being a wrestler. He stated shaking from withdrawals and he needed to be in this ring again.

There are people talking about being the best in the world and he is already being forgotten. He is going to exhaust every option to get back in this ring, bag or no bag. Omega: “We’re talking about colostomy bags, so why not talks about two other ***** while we’re at it?”

He brings up the Young Bucks, who are EVP’s, but so is Omega himself. Part of the power in this company belongs to him, but here is Kazuchika Okada to interrupt (Schiavone: “My God.”). Omega greets him in Japanese and offers to run it back one more time if Okada can give him a few months. Okada declines, saying he is the Best Bout Machine now.

Cue Jack Perry to jump Omega from behind and then grab a chair but Omega fights back. The dragon suplex connects but Okada offers a distraction, allowing Perry to hit Omega in the stomach with a chair. The Young Bucks come in and hit the EVP Trigger, with FTR running out for the save to end the show.

There is a lot to go through here. First, Omega gave one of the best emotional promos I’ve ever seen from him, as it felt like he was either telling the truth or telling something very close to it. I was feeling sorry for him and that’s a good sign for someone who is dealing with some serious issues.

Then we move on to the real story though and that is, again, the Young Bucks. They’ve been all over the show and are now running things, which will likely continue for a good while. It wouldn’t shock me to see this go to some Blood & Guts or Anarchy In The Arena match, possibly even at All In, for control of the company (Tony Khan getting involved physically would be almost expected at this point). I really don’t know how much interest there is in that, but it seems a likely destination. Hopefully we get another Omega vs. Okada match, which while not something I really need to see, sounds a heck of a lot better.

For now though, this was their big moment and it winds up being the Young Bucks again, despite them not being interesting and not being interesting for a long time. AEW seems obsessed with always bringing the main story back to the Elite and it seems that the audience has just moved on from them. It’s been five years plus and this story of “what’s going on with the Elite” keeps coming up. The options are find something new or keep doing the same stuff with a slightly different look over and over, and we seem to be getting the latter here.

Overall Rating: C+. And that’s AEW in a nutshell: solid action from bell to bell, but the stories between the matches don’t go so well. There was no blow away match but the opener was good and Deeb vs. May was rather entertaining. As has been the case for a good while though, your feelings on this show are probably going to be tied to the Young Bucks. If you like them then it was a nice show, but otherwise, it feels like the start of a very long road to…well probably whatever the next big Elite story is after this one is over.

Results
Adam Copeland b. Buddy Matthews – Spear
Samoa Joe b. Isiah Kassidy – MuscleBuster
Claudio Castagnoli b. Brian Cage – Sharpshooter
Serena Deeb b. Mariah May when Toni Storm threw in the towel

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